Happy Anniversary Baby
by ShaViva
Summary: John Sheppard has saved Atlantis many times in the past ... when the tables are turned will the special connection he shares with the city be enough to save him? Fourth in my Sheplantis series, follows on from Time After Time.
1. Just give me a second here

**Happy Anniversary Baby**

Author: ShaViva

Rating: T+

Content Warning: Adult themes, some violence

Season: Set beginning of Season 5, before The Seed.

Summary: John Sheppard has saved Atlantis many times in the past ... when the tables are turned will the special connection he shares with the city be enough to save him? New story set in my Sheplantis AU world.

Classifications: Adventure, team fic

Pairings: none

Spoilers for: minor spoilers for events up to and including Search and Rescue.

Acknowledgements: any research sources used will be highlighted at the point that they're used.

Disclaimer: The Stargate characters, storylines, etc aren't mine. I am unfortunately not associated in any way with the creators, owners, or producers of Stargate or any of its media franchises – if I was we'd be seeing them on TV for some time to come *sighs dejectedly*. All publicly recognizable characters, settings, equipment, etc are the property of whoever owns them. The original characters and plot and anything else I made up are the property of me, the author. No copyright infringement is intended.

Copyright (c) 2009 ShaViva

oOo

**Authors Note:**

On this day just one year ago I posted my first ever chapter of fan fiction on this site. Fortunate Journey Season 1 ... the first thing I'd written that I ever let anyone else read.

Now here we are one year, eighteen stories, and almost 750,000 words later and I'm still posting! Who would have thought it?!

Thank you to everyone who has read even just one of my stories this past year. Special thanks to those who loyally read and review everything I write ... I hope you know how much I appreciate the support and encouragement that gives me.

To celebrate my one year anniversary I decided to write a new story ... once I'd thought about it for a bit there was really only one choice. So ... settle back as we revisit my Sheplantis AU world with a new adventure for John, Rodney and the wonderful embodiment of Atlantis. Hope you enjoy it!

oOo

**Chapter 1: Just give me a second here**

"Huh!" Rodney's exclamation of surprise had John looking up from his breakfast questioningly.

Rodney was reading something on his ever present data pad ... when he said nothing further Sheppard sighed before taking the bait.

"What?" he asked expectantly.

"Sorry?" Rodney looked at John in confusion.

"You just did a McKay surprised 'huh'," John retorted.

"Oh!" Rodney grinned across at John before explaining. "Did you know that on this very day last year you were using the city to kiss this particular ocean for the first time?"

"We've been here a year already?" he didn't know why but somehow that was more of a surprise than it should have been. Sheppard filled in reports, did performance appraisals ... he _knew_ what month it was. But he hadn't kept track ... hadn't counted how many months had passed since they'd almost lost the city.

"Yep," Rodney said happily. "Maybe we should have a party or something."

"_McKay_," John's tone was serious as he waited for Rodney to get the silent message he was sending. Atlantis - not just the city but her special awareness that only John could communicate with – had almost been lost when they'd been attacked by the Replicators and forced to fleet Lantia. They'd lost Elizabeth then too, plus others ... on top of Carson just a few weeks before.

Celebrating wasn't appropriate.

"What?" Rodney demanded, reacting to the disapproving tone. When John said nothing Rodney frowned before his face cleared and he looked faintly embarrassed. "Elizabeth would _like_ the idea of a party," he muttered stubbornly.

"Some anniversaries you just don't celebrate Rodney," John said more kindly ... not that it would change his mind but Sheppard thought maybe Rodney's muttered comment wasn't that far off the mark.

"Fine," Rodney replied, letting the matter drop abruptly.

Both men went back to their breakfasts, neither feeling the need to fill up the companionable silence. Finally finished, Rodney rose to his feet and stood beside the table, tray in hand. "I'll see you at the Gate in ten minutes ... gotta collect some stuff from the lab first."

"Couldn't you have done that _before_ you came down here?" Sheppard asked in exasperation. Rodney just ignored him, waving his hand dismissively as he hurried from the toom "_Nice to know some things never change_," John thought to himself.

"_Why do you persist in disclaiming all feeling towards Doctor McKay?_" the chorus of Atlantis rolled through his mind with familiarity.

"_I don't do that_," John denied, thinking it firmly as he got up and walked from the Mess Hall. "_You heard McKay – he wants to celebrate what was probably the most traumatic thing most of the people here will ever go through_!"

John struggled for a moment to contain the memories – the city under attack from the Replicators, stranded in space with only hours of power remaining. Elizabeth urging McKay - no _insisting_ that he reactivate her nanites so they could get into the Replicator city to retrieve a ZPM. Being forced to leave her behind when they were overrun and in danger of failing their mission. Going back to the Replicator home world in a cloaked Jumper but finding no trace of Elizabeth.

Tamping down on his emotions, John refocused his attention, realising as he did so that Atlantis knew exactly what he'd been thinking.

"_But is it not the way of humanity to make light in the midst of difficult situations_," Atlantis questioned gently. "_To laugh in the face of danger? Indulge in what do you call it? Gallows humour? How was Doctor McKay's suggestion any different?_"

"_We nearly lost you as well_," John reminded the chorus grimly. "_Is that something you want to be reminded of every year?_"

"_And yet we were not destroyed and the damage to our systems, our structures, was mended such that no further evidence remains_," the notes shifted from puzzled to determined. "_We would like to rejoice in our existence ... in what we owe to you and others who risked much to save us, who sacrificed themselves to that end._"

"_I know we're back to normal_," John tried to explain his own viewpoint, "_but it took a long time ... a long painful time before you could hear me again. I'm just_," he broke off, hesitated, and then made himself finish, "_I'm just not ready to make light of that._"

"_Very well_," the chorus intoned, sounding no different that the first day John had heard it, despite the struggles he'd described. "_We ask that you be careful off world this day_."

"_I'm always careful_," John grinned, not minding the curious looks he got as he walked towards the Gateroom.

"_And yet you still manage to find trouble_," Atlantis returned, her notes pointed.

"_Not today_," Sheppard promised. "_We're just checking in with the kids – should_ _be back well before bed time_."

oOo

Pacing the Gateroom floor a few minutes later, John looked at his watch repeatedly, wondering where Rodney and the rest of his team had gotten to.

"Sheppard," Ronon strode in without ceremony, Teyla at his side.

"About time," John returned. "Now we just need McKay."

"His lab perhaps?" Teyla suggested, well used to Rodney's tendency to get distracted and forget engagements.

"Rodney," Sheppard tapped his radio to make contact. "Are you planning on joining us sometime today?"

"Just give me a second here," Rodney replied, his voice distracted and somewhat abrupt – as usual.

"Is that a Sheppard second or a McKay second?" John retorted sarcastically, knowing full well Rodney was likely to be delayed for longer than that, especially if he'd been called in to look at some kind of problem within the city.

"I just need ...," Rodney's voice trailed off again.

"Dial it up," Sheppard called up to Chuck in the control room. Turning to Ronon and Teyla, he shrugged. "Rodney will catch up."

"Yes Sir," Chuck punched in the coordinates for M7G-677 briskly, announcing moments later that a stable wormhole had been established.

John took the lead, striding forward briskly and stepping through the gate.

"_Wait_!" Rodney's frantic voice yelling across the Gateroom halted Ronon and Teyla's forward momentum. Running into the room panting harshly, Rodney looked on with horrified dismay as the back of Sheppard's vest disappeared from sight.

The event horizon flashed brightly, momentarily blinding anyone who'd been looking at it directly, including Rodney. The black haze disappeared from his eyes to reveal the empty Stargate – the wormhole had shut down.

"Oh no," Rodney muttered sickly, turning to his teammates with his 'we are so screwed' expression firmly in place.

"Is there a problem Rodney?" Teyla asked in concern.

"I don't know!" Rodney retorted, folding his arms across his chest defensively. "Maybe ... probably. We ah ... we need to redial M7G-677." Looking up to the Control Room, he added impatiently "right now would be good. Yes – that big white flash – probably _not_ a good thing!"

"Rodney," Teyla drew his worried glance her way. "What happened?"

"I detected an energy spike somewhere in the city," Rodney explained as the gate was redialled. "When I traced the source it was here, in the gate room. A subroutine I've never seen before kicked in at the start of the first dialling sequence ... I'm guessing it reached critical levels just after Sheppard entered the wormhole – sparking that flash."

"Sheppard?" Ronon put a world of worry into that one word.

"Depends," Rodney admitted. "Excessive power output at the event horizon of a stable wormhole isn't a good thing ... he might have been redirected elsewhere or just ...," Rodney trailed off, unwilling to verbalise the worse case scenario.

"Wormhole established," Chuck announced.

"Sheppard, this is McKay, do you read?" Rodney's voice was impatient as he tried to make contact via radio.

"Sheppard, what is your situation?" Rodney tried again after a few moments pause with no response.

"Perhaps he has moved outside radio range?" Teyla suggested hopefully.

"After less than 5 minutes?" Rodney returned incredulously. "Unless he's found himself a supersonic jet on the other side of that wormhole travelling out of radio range that quickly is pretty much impossible."

"Instead of standing around speculating perhaps you should go and check on the Colonel's whereabouts," Richard Woolsey, the city's new leader, suggested pointedly as he walked briskly down the steps from the Control Room.

Ronon took that as invitation enough, stalking through the Stargate before Rodney could even blink.

"Rodney," Teyla urged him forward, both stepping through the gate together.

oOo

There was no sign of Sheppard on M7G-677 ... they searched the area surrounding the gate, spoke to Keras, the leader of the closest village, to no avail. Two hours after arriving they were forced to return to Atlantis empty handed.

"Well?" Woolsey looked at Rodney expectantly, the continuing absence of Sheppard telling its own story.

"He never arrived," Rodney announced glumly. "We have no way of knowing _what_ happened to him."

oOo

The chorus that was the summation of the entire city could not hear the conversations of her inhabitants ... experiencing the thoughts of John Sheppard as _he_ participated was as close as she could get. The trade off for that lack was her instant connection with every aspect of every system.

Atlantis knew of the power being collected at the Stargate as soon as it began although she could not predict it's purpose.

Through her link with John she sensed the wormhole being redirected ... the discharge of energy blinding her momentarily as it had everyone else. When it passed she discovered that she could not follow him ... could not determine the end point of the wormhole through subspace.

The chorus moaned in despair as the consequences became clear.

John Sheppard was lost to her ... perhaps forever.

_TBC_


	2. I wouldn't count on that if I were you

**Chapter 2: I wouldn't count on that if I were you**

Sheppard stepped from the wormhole onto M7G-677 much as he had many times before.

Except .. where he was _wasn't_ where he'd expected to be.

Hardly aware that the wormhole had closed immediately behind him, John took a few steps forward, looking around in confusion.

No grassy clearing ... no trees ... no one waiting to greet his arrival ... and no team arriving behind him either.

Instead he had walked from the Stargate alone into some kind of warehouse ... if he had to pin it down to one particular race he'd go with the Genii as his first choice although in all honestly it looked closer to something he'd find back home.

Dirty windows high in the grey slat style walls cast shadowy natural light into the large room ... the tall metal doors directly across from him appeared to be the only obvious exit.

Striding quickly forward, P90 held at the ready, Sheppard grabbed the door handle one handed and tugged, putting his full body weight behind the force applied.

Of course it was locked.

Turning back towards the Stargate for the first time since he'd arrived, John finally noticed something he probably should have discovered in the first instant.

The Stargate itself was suspended from the ceiling to rest lightly on the floor using clamps similar to those employed back at the SGC but there was nothing else in the room.

No DHD to dial back to Atlantis. No captor waiting to tell him why he was there. Hell, he didn't even have a chair to sit in!

"This is Lieutenant Colonel John Sheppard," John activated his radio, walking back towards the centre of the room, hoping someone out there was around to pick up his signal. "Does anybody read me, over?"

Static greeted him in reply ... not the 'if you tune to the right channel, someone will hear you' kind either ... to John's worried ears it sounded more like the static they picked up on planets with absolutely no claims to technological advancements of any kind.

"I repeat, this is Colonel Sheppard," John persisted, despite his doubts. "I am located in a -,"

"Ah, Colonel," the cultured voice that interrupted him seemed to come from all around the room. "I see you have finally arrived. Welcome."

"I'd like to say it's a pleasure but that would be a lie," Sheppard returned sarcastically. "What is this place?"

"Perhaps you can tell me," the voice suggested with some amusement.

"My first guess would be Genii outpost," Sheppard replied, deciding there was no harm in playing along for the moment.

"Not Ancient?" there was nothing in those words that threatened and yet John felt himself tense the moment they were spoken.

"Obviously not," he said lightly, ignoring the internal warnings. "They go more for the swirly blues and greens. The Genii are the only race I know with a fondness for drab grey."

"I see," the voice replied, dripping with disappointment. "And there I had hoped you were using your unique connection to all things Ancient to assist in your assessment."

"My what?" John returned the dramatics, putting an exaggerated confused frown on his face as he looked around the room for the source of communications.

"Come now Colonel Sheppard," disappointment returned to amusement. "Surely you don't think your arrival here is accidental?"

"I was kind of hoping so," John admitted deprecatingly. It hadn't been that long since his _last_ bizarre journey where he'd stepped out into an Atlantis partially buried under desert, 48,000 years in the future. The chances of suffering _another _wormhole accident like that had been remote but ... well, a guy could hope.

"Many months of planning and execution were required so that you could be here Colonel," his host replied.

"You shouldn't have," Sheppard smiled mockingly. "You'll find that I'm really not worth the effort ... or trouble."

"You underestimate your value," again his host seemed impervious to the usually provoking 'Sheppard as captive' approach. "After all, are you not the only person in existence who can speak directly with the city of Atlantis?"

"Atlantis?" Sheppard queried. "The Replicators destroyed that city a year ago – surely you heard that."

"This is pointless Colonel," a hint of annoyance finally bled through, giving John a few moments of satisfaction. "We know the Atlantis Base now resides on M35-117 ... and we know the names of everyone stationed there."

"Well aren't you well informed," John quipped in annoyance. "So what? Half the people in the galaxy probably know about the city by now ... you're not impressing me here.

"That may be true Colonel, but what those people don't know is that Atlantis is not just a city to you is it?" the host's voice was kindly, interested ... like some kind of benevolent uncle offering support and understanding.

"I live there so I guess you could call it my home too," John suggested, having no intention of admitting anything else.

"Most people don't have homes that take on an actual presence inside their occupants heads," the abrupt revelation of just how much his captors knew had John's insides dipping alarmingly. Before he could react, the voice continued. "We know that you speak to the city ... that you converse with it inside your mind ... and that its awareness replies."

"I don't know anything about awareness's," John said like he was genuinely trying to work out why they'd want him. Internally it was a different story. Sheppard could count the number of people who knew about his bond with Atlantis on one hand ... Elizabeth and Carson - both gone now, Rodney, Ronon and Teyla. That was it. With complete certainty John was sure that _none _of them would have betrayed him. "It's a city - an inanimate object. Sure - I can use the systems but I'm not the only one. Almost half the base can do that."

"You are as stubborn as we expected," the host said impatiently. "Very well, you force us to make our point most ... forcefully."

A noise in the roof drew John's attention upwards in time to see the outline of someone opening a trapdoor and lowering something down to the floor in the middle of the room.

John approached cautiously ... stopping at a safe distance as he made it out to be a simple cube. The worrying thing was that it was clearly of Ancient design. Did they think they could force him to turn it on? That would prove nothing.

"I'm not touching that," Sheppard announced with grim purpose.

"We did not expect that you would," the voice replied in amusement.

Grappling down from the roof came a figure encased entirely in black, face obscured by a balaclava. The shape revealed by the skin tight clothing along with the way the figure moved announced it as male.

John expected the unknown man to approach him but instead he approached the Ancient device, ripping off a glove and placing his palm down confidently on the topmost face of the cube.

The effect was immediate. On the outside the cube lit up with the usual Ancient blue light, pulsing faintly ... not threatening in the slightest.

On the inside, in John's head, it was a different story. As soon as the device had been activated his mental quiet was replaced with a high pitched droning tone ... like the faint hum John always got from ancient technology but distorted as though the device were malfunctioning.

"Our ATA friend there discovered this amongst some artefacts removed from an historic site recently," the host revealed with interest. "We were unable to work out what it does but discovered one interesting side effect which I am sure you're currently enjoying."

"What side effect?" John said blandly, focussing hard on his surroundings as he tried to filter out the mental noise.

"You amuse me Colonel," the voice returned laughingly. "You may be able to ignore it for a time but eventually the continual presence of mental noise will break you. My friend there is nowhere near as strong as yourself and yet even he struggled to cope after a full day without pause. You'll not only admit to what we both know is truth but you'll want to help us make the best use of what only you have to offer."

"I wouldn't count on that if I were you," John retorted stubbornly.

"We shall see," his host replied ... smugly.

John expected there to be something more but the only thing that happened next was that faceless ninja man climbed back up his rope. No such luck that he'd forget the device and just leave it where John could get at it. No, ninja man placed it in a large netting bag and then tied it to the rope and left it suspended well outside John's reach. The trapdoor closed with an echoing slam, leaving John alone in the deathly silent room ... not that he could appreciate it with the racket going on upstairs.

"Crap!" he muttered, looking around in dismay. "Now what?'

oOo

"No way?" Woolsey said disbelievingly, sure that Doctor McKay was exaggerating their current circumstances.

"It's impossible to track anything in subspace," Rodney said dismissively, "particularly from the outside with nothing to use for reference."

"Don't we track every wormhole to its destination?" Woolsey frowned in confusion.

"With a MALP sending an active radio signal back through the connection," Rodney agreed impatiently. "What a shame we didn't think to send one today ... oh wait, that's right! We've only been to that planet about a hundred times before!"

"_Rodney_," Teyla admonished, waiting patiently as he calmed and then returned her gaze apologetically.

"It wouldn't have mattered anyway," Rodney explained in a more even tone. "I don't think a radio signal would have cut through the interference created when the energy dissipated at the event horizon."

"There is truly nothing you can do?" Teyla queried in a low tone, her eyes full of dread.

"I don't know where that wormhole went," Rodney admitted, his tone stubborn but also sad. "It's not like it's the first time I lost Sheppard ...," he trailed off, loath to bring up what he knew everyone was thinking ... the _last_ time John's trip through the gate had taken a turn for the worst.

"And was it not you who brought Colonel Sheppard back from the future?" Teyla asked gently, concerned now for Rodney as well.

"Huh!" Rodney scoffed. "Sure ... and I only had to let Michael take over the whole galaxy, play mad scientist recluse for 40 years, and then wait another 47,960 years to get to him. Somehow I don't think that method's gonna work a second time!"

"From John's point of view very little real time passed until he was returned safely to Atlantis," Teyla persisted, unwilling to let Rodney beat himself up about something that hadn't exactly happened. "Instead of that future, the Colonel was missing for a few days only ... because of your dedication."

"There's a way," Ronon spoke for the first time, his tone and the expression on his face brooking no further argument.

"This is what comes from being the smartest man in two galaxies," Rodney commented almost casually to Woolsey. "People get complacent and start thinking you can solve everything." Turning back to Ronon, Rodney's shoulders slumped discouragingly. "What if this time I can't? What if there's nothing to save?" He let that sink in before continuing. "I mean seriously, how many lives do we think Sheppard has?!"

Abruptly Rodney turned and walked hurriedly across the Gateroom floor and down the corridor, leaving Teyla, Ronon and Woolsey standing frozen, staring after him.

oOo

Of course, after immersing himself in doom and gloom predictions on Colonel Sheppard's fate Rodney did rally as that formidable brain of his kicked into gear.

"It wasn't an accident," he announced, striding into Woolsey's office early the next morning.

"Doctor McKay," Woolsey looked at the other man closely, "you look like hell. Did you even go to bed last night?"

"No," Rodney said abruptly. "It wasn't an accident ... I don't know the who yet and the how was incredibly difficult to determine but that wormhole was redirected deliberately ... for a reason."

"Colonel Sheppard was abducted?" Woolsey asked disbelievingly.

"Isn't that what I just said?" Rodney returned impatiently. "The subroutine I detected during the dialling sequence was designed to collect power sufficient to cause a wormhole redirection. That flash might have _looked_ all encompassing but the main force was precisely calculated and directed at a specific point."

"Where did the subroutine come from then?" Woolsey queried, thoughts of more than one likely enemy capable of that level of subterfuge circling through his head.

"I think the more interesting 'where' question is where the wormhole was redirected _to_," Rodney countered with that smug 'I know something you could never work out on your own' look on his face.

"You _know_ where Colonel Sheppard is?" Woolsey made an almost growling sound in frustration. "Why didn't you say that in the first place?!"

"Because I don't know where _he_ is," Rodney returned. "I know where the wormhole went but whether Sheppard is still there or not is a different question."

"Okay, _where_ did the wormhole go then?" Richard asked, playing along somewhat irritably.

"To the Stargate nearest M7G-677," Rodney said simply. "By my calculations that would be M3A-143."

"What do we know about it?" Woolsey queried.

"Ah ...," Rodney hesitated for a moment before ploughing on. "The most recent intel we had said Genii stronghold but with the Hoffan virus and the Replicators it's unlikely they could have maintained their position there."

"Unlikely but not impossible," Woolsey pointed out.

"Look," Rodney's voice rose in volume in anticipation of what he knew was coming next. "We _need_ to go ... right now. The longer we delay the worse it could be for Sheppard."

"There's a clear protocol to follow here Doctor McKay," Woolsey said insistently. "I can hardly report to my superiors that valid security measures were skipped simply because of your impatience. Prepare a MALP."

"But -," Rodney began his protests again.

"A MALP Doctor McKay," Woolsey broke in, leaving Rodney almost spluttering. "If the situation is favourable you and the rest of your team can attempt to locate Colonel Sheppard." When the other man continued to stand there looking incredulous, Richard almost smiled ... almost. "I thought you indicated time was of the essence Doctor. Why are you still standing there?"

"Right," Rodney muttered, frowning at Woolsey for a moment before turning and hurrying from his office.

**Authors Note:**

I meant this to be a post every day story BUT the internet Gods conspired against me and stole my internet away for TWO WHOLE DAYS! It was torture I tell you! Hope the wait was worth it ...


	3. Yeah, well I’m asking now!

**Chapter 3: ****Yeah, well I'm asking now!**

The MALP was prepared with as much haste as Rodney could muster ... standing in the control room he watched its slow progress towards and then through the wormhole with apprehension.

"All will be well Rodney," Teyla, standing just at his shoulder, said softly.

"You _say_ that but I'm sure I'm not the only one who's wondering just one thing," Rodney turned to look at Teyla and Ronon. "If everything is okay with Sheppard then why didn't he just dial us back as soon as he realised he wasn't on M7G-677?"

"He couldn't," Ronon acknowledged simply.

"Exactly," Rodney agreed. "Means either he's injured – badly – or someone stopped him. I don't even want to think about how they might have done that."

"We have video Doctor McKay," one of the technicians drew their attention back to the MALP's progress before Teyla or Ronon could respond.

The first pictures showed the area directly in front of the Stargate on M3A-143 ... an enclosed space, grey walls, concrete like floor ... and no signs of anyone nearby.

"Pan out," Rodney requested, walking closer to the viewscreen.

The scene shifted as a longer view of the room was revealed. It wasn't somewhere they'd been before and yet there was a certain familiarity about it.

"A Genii outpost?" Teyla queried with a frown.

"Looks like it," Rodney agreed with surprise. "What do you know - the intel was actually right for a change!"

"No guards – not for a while," Ronon commented.

"How can you possibly tell that from this?" Woolsey scoffed.

"Too much dust and dirt on the floor," Ronon said simply. "The Genii are military. They wouldn't let one of their facilities get like that unless they weren't using it anymore."

"_See?_" Rodney commented to Woolsey somewhat snidely, "No signs of anything waiting to jump out and nab us. _Now_ can we go get Sheppard?"

"Yes," Woolsey said abruptly. "But I expect regular check-ins."

"Of course Mr. Woolsey," Teyla agreed graciously for the three of them before urging her teammates to get moving.

oOo

"It's not just the Genii who haven't been here in a while," Ronon pointed out a minute or so into their mission. They'd quickly decided the place actually had been constructed and used by the Genii - even without a 'Kolya was here' sticker on the wall.

"Mmm?" Rodney glanced up from his scanner distractedly.

"No footprints other than ours," Ronon said. "No one's been in this room in a long time."

"Ronon is correct," Teyla announced firmly. "I do not believe that Colonel Sheppard is here Rodney. Could your calculations have been wrong?"

"Hey – my calculations are _never_ wrong!" Rodney retorted indignantly. "This is the Stargate Sheppard's wormhole was redirected to."

"Then where is he?" Ronon demanded, scowling.

"Maybe someone was waiting for him, took him somewhere else," Rodney suggested reluctantly.

"No footprints McKay!" Ronon turned away, pacing impatiently in front of the DHD and making fresh tracks in the thick grime covering the entire floor.

Rodney frowned, looking around the small room with fresh eyes. Ronon was right ... no one had been there in months, maybe longer.

Sheppard wasn't on the planet ... and what was worse, he never had been.

"I need to check the DHD," Rodney announced, thoughts running at double time. There had to be a reason why Sheppard wasn't there, something he'd missed in that subroutine although he couldn't see how ... he'd spent the whole night firstly breaking the heavy encryption to get access to the code and then checking and rechecking it's effects. He'd been _sure_ this was the right planet.

Ripping his laptop off his back and pulling out connector leads Rodney knelt and quickly accessed the DHD's control crystals, plugging himself in.

"I'm gonna look around outside," Ronon announced, unwilling to just sit and wait for McKay to do his thing.

"I will remain with Rodney," Teyla said graciously, moving to stand near the DHD. "Be careful Ronon."

"Sure," Ronon agreed before striding from the room.

Rodney was hardly aware of Teyla's presence as he scrolled through the DHD code looking for gate history – both incoming and outbound plus anything else that would explain the contradictions. The wormhole had been directed there and yet it was clear no wormhole had activated in the room for some time.

"Have you found anything?" Teyla's voice drew Rodney's attention a few minutes later.

"Unfortunately yes," Rodney sat back, punching a few final commands into his laptop. Looking up at Teyla he grimaced. "Ronon was right on one point – our incoming wormhole _is_ the only one that's established a connection here in months. But at the same time Sheppard's wormhole _was_ directed here."

"How are both of those statements possible Rodney?" Teyla frowned in confusion.

"This DHD has been altered," Rodney explained. "The code that receives the dialling DHD's request for a connection was _made_ to forward all incoming wormholes to another address."

"Was?" Teyla picked up the emphasis Rodney had placed on that one word.

"As soon as Sheppard's wormhole was forwarded the destination was erased," Rodney revealed. "Otherwise we'd be wherever he is instead of here."

"What other address?" Ronon announced his return, moving silently back into the room to stop just in front of Rodney.

"There's no record of it in the altered code," Rodney admitted weakly.

"Can you not find the history of recent addresses dialled?" Teyla had been around the technology and picked up much in her time amongst humans.

"I can but it won't help," Rodney said sickly. "All the addresses have been erased."

Ripping the connectors out of the DHD Rodney almost angrily wound them up and stuffed them back in their place along with his laptop.

"Rodney?" Teyla's voice was worried and uncertain ... not a tone he wanted to get used to hearing.

"This time I really am at a dead end Teyla," Rodney admitted, moving to dial Atlantis. "There's nothing else I can do here."

oOo

It galled to return to Atlantis with nothing ... Rodney went through the motions of requisite infirmary visit followed by debrief with Woolsey with the grim purpose of getting it over with as quickly as possible.

All he really wanted was some alone time so he could _think_ ... he'd told Teyla he had nothing but that core of determination inside of him was clinging to the edge of the cliff with both hands all the while screeching that he had to _do something!_

Teyla and Ronon both tried to talk to him ... whether to reassure him that it wasn't his fault or insist that he'd work it out and get Sheppard back somehow he didn't know. Holding up his hands as if to ward off their words he shook his head ... for once not having the snarky words required to scare them all away.

Finally free of procedure and well meaning team mates Rodney stumbled to his quarters, throwing himself tiredly face down on the bed.

The sleepless night and difficult day had taken its toll ... within moments Rodney had fallen to sleep and from there into dreams.

oOo

Sheppard moved as far away from the malfunctioning Ancient device as he could get ... even though in the past it hadn't been his experience that so little distance made a difference for his 'gift'. But ... couldn't hurt to try!

Of course he'd thought about shooting the device down to the floor as soon as he'd realised what they were doing - he still had everything he'd carried with him through the Stargate, _including_ his pistol and his P90! But the location of the device inside the room was pretty much immaterial because in order to deactivate it John would have to prove what he'd been trying to deny. That he had ATA skills sufficient to be of interest to his captors ... the base level version never enough to switch off the malfunctioning items, particularly if you weren't the person who'd switched them on. John couldn't count on his captors not knowing that because they had already shown themselves to be a hell of a lot more informed that John would have thought possible.

Of course, if the mental noise he was currently experiencing got much worse John might inadvertently confirm his skill level anyway when he could no longer hide that the device was affecting him. Still, he wasn't there yet and with any luck he'd find a way out of the mess he'd gotten himself into _before_ that happened.

Escape was also an option he'd considered and rejected - for the time being anyway - inside of five minutes ... he _could_ shoot out the windows but they were too high for him to climb to and out of; the door was locked and likely too heavy for P90 bullets to penetrate enough to make a difference. The walls were solid metal too ... he'd run out of bullets before he could shoot a hole through them and two blocks of C4 were hardly likely to blow a big enough hole to get him out. And all of those options fell foul of the same problem ... who would be waiting for him outside? Sheppard needed some serious intel ... the kind you get with a MALP and a UAV. In the absence of that he'd just have to hope his hosts let something slip regarding their numbers.

John had thought about just shooting ninja guy before he'd even done anything to the Ancient device, leaving the way clear for John to head up the rope instead. The main problem with that approach was that ninja guy _wasn't_ the man in charge and Sheppard would be a poor strategist if he just stormed up to the trapdoor with no idea what he'd find at the top. Rushing in without thought had gotten him into trouble so many times in the past but here, by himself, with no one but himself to save, John could afford to bide his time and assess the situation first. Plenty of time to go out there, guns blazing, if nothing better presented itself. Besides, surely Rodney would have worked out what had happened by now and in his usual McKay way, already have some kind of plan in place to rescue John.

So for the time being Sheppard's only plan was to maintain the facade at all costs ... go along with his captors even though it pained him almost as much as the static in his skull. Taking a seat beside the Stargate, John used it as a backrest, settling himself comfortably on the floor in a relaxed posture that said 'I can do this _all_ day.'

oOo

Time passed with nothing changing ... Sheppard had moved beyond bored out of his brain into a state of mind where he would have _welcomed_ a game of Prime Not Prime with Rodney. Sitting with his back to the Stargate John leant his head tiredly against it and closed his eyes.

The noise inside his head ... disjointed humming from an object that probably just wanted to say hello ... ramped up a notch. The throb of pain from the headache he'd acquired inside the first hour pulsed over his entire head and without a visual to distract him had him feeling sick enough to embarrass himself.

John snapped his eyes open again. "Damn it!" he growled, running impatient hands through his hair and swallowing hard. The feeling of imminent sickness passed but the all encompassing pain didn't let up and for the first time Sheppard wondered how long he'd be able to keep himself in check.

Not that he intended to give in and agree to do what they wanted. But the temptation to just turn the device off without even getting up, let alone touching it, was ever present and hard to resist with a head that felt like it might explode at any time. Sheppard was pretty sure he could do it too - turn off the device from where he was sitting - but again that would hardly convince his captors that he wasn't the gene star they thought they'd acquired.

Glancing at his watch, John almost groaned. Four hours? That was all? That thing had only been on _four_ hours?! He had to do something ... just not the something _they_ expected.

Considering again the weapons he had on him – the ones the bad guys had neglected to deprive him of - Sheppard went from an attitude of not wanting to waste the little ammo he had to 'what the hell?'. Right now his biggest priority was doing something about the Ancient device before they could use it against him any further.

Firing on the building itself would be a waste of time ... on the annoying Ancient device however, a little P90 fire _might_ go a long way.

Eyeing the suspended device assessingly, John pulled himself back to standing and slowly approached, leaving his weapon hanging off his vest to lower suspicion about his current plans until the last possible moment.

Getting within range, Sheppard slotted the P90 into his shoulder with speed, sighted the Ancient device, and fired a short burst directly into it.

Ping! Ping! Ping!

The ricochet of bullets hitting an unseen barrier and bouncing off had John dropping to the floor instantly, hands over his head.

When the dust cleared and the room was silent again, Sheppard cautiously raised his head and looked around. Taking stock of himself he slumped in relief ... at least he hadn't taken himself out!

"That was foolish Colonel Sheppard," his host's voice echoed just as grimly in the room as the bullets had. "Particularly when you can simply turn the device off ... if you so choose."

"Well, I don't so choose," Sheppard retorted irritably, stomping back to the Stargate and throwing himself to the ground to sit against it once more.

"Very well," his host said lightly. "We will wait ... as long as it takes."

"You'll be waiting forever because I can't switch it off!" John yelled. "And who the hell are you guys anyway?"

"I am surprised you didn't ask that question before," came the response, causing John to pause sickly.

They were right - he hadn't!

Worried now that the device was messing with his mental capabilities Sheppard almost growled in frustration.

"Yeah, well I'm asking now," he retorted sarcastically.

"For the time being all you need to know is that we have friends on Earth," his host replied blandly. "Influential friends with connections in _both_ galaxies. When intelligence came back reporting your ... unique skills, our friends were _very_ keen to acquire their use to further ... important objectives."

"Earth?" John frowned. That so wasn't the answer he'd been expecting but the ultimate meaning was immediately clear ... someone on Atlantis _had_ betrayed him.

**Authors Note:**

I have made some additions to this chapter since posting it due to a review for chapter 2 questioning Sheppards passive handling of the situation given he had weapons on hand. I did have reasons for writing it that way and have now added that explanation to the story. I agree - Sheppard isn't a passive prisoner ... but he _is_ a smart one. Thanks Ali D for the criticism as hopefully it's now a better chapter than it was.


	4. I have need of your services

**Chapter 4: I have need of your services.**

_"Doctor McKay?" _

_Rodney looked up to see a middle aged woman standing somewhat hesitantly in front of his desk. She had shoulder length brown hair liberally scattered with grey and was wearing a simple summer dress, white with little green flowers scattered here and there. Her eyes were a warm blue, sparkling with humour, almost childlike but at the same time containing an awareness that was ageless._

_"Yes?" he replied curiously._

_"I was told that you are a theoretical astrophysicist with practical experience in the field," the woman replied. "I have need of your services."_

_"You need an astrophysicist?" Rodney repeated slowly. "Well - that's not something I hear every day! Um ... why?"_

_"Wormholes Doctor McKay," the woman said simply._

_"I don't understand ... you want to talk about ... wormholes?" Rodney hesitated, confused. _

_"Not exactly," she smiled, openly amused by Rodney's air of confusion. "I wish to utilise one for the purposes of communication."_

_Glancing around his office at the clutter that was both familiar and strange he frowned. _

_Something wasn't right. _

_"Are you a student?" he asked, trying to work it out._

_"Of humanity," the woman replied as though the idea amused her greatly. "Can it be done?"_

_"Well, theoretically a radio wave can travel in either direction through an open wormhole," Rodney agreed, letting himself be drawn into the discussion despite his confusion. "But creating the wormhole in the first place? How do you propose to do that?"_

_"By using the Stargate," the woman replied._

_That was the point when Rodney realised he was dreaming ... not that the business like shirt and trousers he was wearing and the fact that he was in his office back on campus hadn't been big warning flags. It was the mention of the Stargate ... his active mind was saying 'the _what_?' but deep inside his real self knew exactly what the mysterious woman was talking about. He struggled to wake up, even pinched himself on the arm quite hard but reality refused to shift._

_"Ah ... the ... Stargate?" he said instead. His eyes met hers and Rodney found his gaze trapped by the wisdom and knowledge in hers. "Who ... who are you?" Rodney whispered._

_"Call me 'Tia," the woman smiled fondly. "You know of what I speak Rodney McKay."_

_"You seem to already know the answers," Rodney pointed out. "What do you need from me?"_

_"I cannot make use of these radio waves you speak of," 'Tia revealed. "The communication I wish to attempt requires more strength than I alone possess. But ... there is a device ... an amplifier that, when connected directly to the Stargate, will provide the boost I require."_

_"You want me to build you an amplifier?" Rodney wasn't being deliberately obtuse ... his mental processes felt sluggish and he wasn't sure if it was because the whole thing was a dream he couldn't wake from or because of some other reason._

_"Such an amplifier already exists," 'Tia replied. "You have but to retrieve it."_

_"From where?" Rodney asked._

_"Return to our origins Doctor McKay," 'Tia intoned, her voice echoing as if many other voices had spoken along with her._

_"Your origins," Rodney repeated, feeling himself swaying tiredly. Wait - how could he be tired if he was already asleep ... surely that act itself would negate the feeling?_

_"You must go," 'Tia insisted, "you alone with the one who is next strongest in the gene of our creators. It is the only way."_

_"Who?" Rodney frowned, his confusion heightened every moment the dream continued._

_"Our time grows short ... remember Doctor," 'Tia pleaded. "The life of our dearest friend depends upon it."_

_"Right," Rodney muttered. "Origins. Friend. Amplifier. Got it," his voice trailed off and he felt himself falling backwards towards the bed that had suddenly appeared behind him._

Rodney hit the mattress and, gasping awake, lurched up from his real bed in his quarters on Atlantis.

"_Holy_ ...," he muttered aloud, rubbing hands over his face urgently. "That was ... weird!" Glancing at the clock ... 5:30 am ... Rodney sighed. No more sleep for him that night. Just as well - he'd have time to do a little research before telling the others about his dream.

oOo

"We need to go to Lantia," Rodney strode into Woolsey's office at two minutes past eight, knowing that Richard promptly turned up at 8am every morning without fail. Rodney had used the time since waking efficiently and was now convinced his dream wasn't a dream but rather instructions on how to help Atlantis find Sheppard. All he had to do was convince Woolsey to allow a mission to their old planet _without_ spilling the beans on John's secret.

"By Lantia I assume you mean our former planet," Woolsey returned.

"Yes, yes," Rodney said impatiently. "I found something in the Ancient database that might help us locate Sheppard. We just need to collect something from Lantia first."

"Perhaps we should continue this discussion with the rest of your team present as well," Richard suggested, getting up and moving towards the control room.

"Mr ... Chuck," he glanced at the gate room technician as though it were his fault Richard didn't know his last name, "please relay a message to Ms Emmagen and Mr Dex to meet us in the conference room immediately.

"And Lorne," Rodney said quickly.

"Major Lorne as well," Woolsey added, casting a curious glance Rodney's way.

"I ah ... I need him along to help," Rodney explained. "Just him ... Teyla and Ronon need to know about the mission but ... they don't need to be there. If you approve the mission, it has to be just Lorne and I."

"If I approve the mission," Woolsey agreed in that way of his that said he thought the only person who really made any sense was himself. "Shall we?" he motioned for Rodney to lead the way to the conference room.

Ronon and Teyla arrived promptly only minutes later with Major Lorne close on their heels.

"Doctor?" Woolsey threw the meeting over to Rodney without introduction once everyone was seated.

"We need to go to Lantia," Rodney started again. "There's a device I found in the database that can help us use the Stargate to find Sheppard."

"A device back on Lantia?" Lorne clarified.

"Yes," Rodney agreed, "I think so."

"How?" Woolsey asked curiously.

"How what?" Rodney returned with his usual 'why do I have to explain everything' expression firmly in place.

"How will it help us find Colonel Sheppard?" Richard expanded impatiently.

"Well," Rodney hesitated, realising this was the moment where he'd either come over as crazy or inadvertently give away too much and reveal John's secret. "Ah ... it's a kind of amplifier and ah ... when you connect it to the Stargate someone ... someone with the gene will be able to ah ... to search for Sheppard through an open wormhole."

"Colonel Sheppard himself is the most proficient in the ancient gene is he not?" Teyla commented, watching Rodney closely.

"Yes and if he were here we wouldn't need to do anything!" Rodney retorted, more like his usual self. "We've never really tested how the ATA gene works ... I suspect some of it is just practice and some of it is genetics which is why I asked the Major here to join us. With the amount of practice he's had using the Puddle Jumpers he should be able to do what we need."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence McKay," Lorne returned, faintly amused.

"You're welcome," Rodney shot back snidely.

"There's no Stargate," Ronon pointed out simply. "We took it with us."

"He's right," Rodney told Woolsey. "I have however found a space gate nearby, relatively speaking. We use a Puddle Jumper to gate there and then fly the rest of the way."

"_How_ nearby, relatively speaking?" Lorne asked, already pretty sure Rodney had him slotted in as pilot as well as ATA gene user in his grand plan.

"Ah, twenty hours, give or take," Rodney admitted quickly.

"_Forty_ hours in a Puddle Jumper with you?" Lorne muttered. "Great!"

"Ha Ha Major," Rodney returned sarcastically. "So, can we go?" he turned to Woolsey hopefully.

"Where exactly is this device McKay?" Lorne asked before Richard could reply.

"Um ... in the drilling station," he admitted in a low tone.

"The drilling station?" Lorne's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "The _deep sea_ drilling station? The one that in all likelihood we destroyed when you and Colonel Sheppard made the city fly? _That _station?"

"I only said we'd _probably _destroy it," Rodney insisted, "not that we definitely had. And just because it's a possibility doesn't mean we shouldn't go and look just in case."

"There are none of these ... amplifiers on Atlantis?" Teyla asked.

"As far as I can work out, No," Rodney replied, meeting Teyla's eyes hoping she'd pick up that he didn't want to share a lot of detail inside the meeting. "It'd take me months to build something from scratch but why would we do that when we don't need to? Besides, Sheppard can't wait that long."

Teyla frowned, narrowing her eyes as she watched him closely.

"And you just stumbled across this in the database?" Woolsey commented.

"Well, no ... not really," Rodney felt compelled to reply as honestly as possible. "I ah ... something made me think of using the Stargate for communication and that was enough to prompt a search of the database for ... for ideas. Look, there's no guarantee we'll find anything but since we have nothing else at this point I can't see the problem."

"Very well," Woolsey said thoughtfully. "Major Lorne and Doctor McKay will take a Puddle Jumper to Lantia to retrieve this device." Shuffling his papers together with a decisive snap, Richard rose and after nodding to everyone present, turned and left the conference room.

"Major," Rodney carefully kept his eyes away from his team mates, "I need to grab some things from my lab. I'll meet you at Puddle Jumper Two in ten minutes."

Wordlessly Lorne cast his own glance at Teyla and Ronon before nodding once and turning to leave the three alone.

"You are going on this mission without us?" Teyla asked with just a hint of censure as soon as the doors had closed again.

"Um ... yes," Rodney admitted. "I ah ... it's just a simple retrieval mission ... you'd be bored."

"But you need _Lorne_?" Ronon spoke next, pointing out that Rodney was taking someone.

"Why not Lorne?" Rodney went on the defensive. "With Sheppard out of the picture I need a back up pilot just in case, you know, I sprain a finger or something and can't fly the Jumper myself. Plus I don't have a lot of experience flying one under water – the Major is probably the most qualified to do it."

"Sprain a _finger_?" Ronon scowled in disbelief. "Su-re McKay."

"_Rodney_," Teyla said firmly, the expression in her eyes telling him that her patience was wearing thin.

"Fine," Rodney muttered, glancing up quickly to make sure the conference room doors really had re-closed before launching into his explanation. "I had a dream last night about using the Stargate to find Sheppard. Part of the dream involved going back to Lantia."

"You _dreamt _of a way to find Colonel Sheppard?" Teyla asked uncertainly. "And you believe it to be accurate?"

"Yes," Rodney returned simply.

"This is unlike you Rodney," Teyla pointed out, her thoughts probably firmly fixed on the past where Rodney had been sceptical of her own dreams about Kanaan.

"Not necessarily," Rodney replied. "I never discounted the idea that dreams can be more than just ... dreams."

Teyla and Ronon both looked at him with identical expressions of disbelief.

"All right, all right ... it was Atlantis," Rodney said it in a rush as though that would stop the others from questioning his conclusion. "She couldn't communicate with me like she does Sheppard so she did it in a dream. I mean, it makes sense when you think about it. Easier access to the subconscious without the conscious mind putting up barriers."

"Atlantis spoke to you in a dream," Ronon grumbled, glaring at the other man impatiently.

"Look, I know this all sounds like a stretch," Rodney said insistently, "but at the same time ... I _know_ it was her. She wants to find John and ... she wants me to help her ... me and Major Lorne."

Ronon and Teyla exchanged glances before Teyla moved to stand beside Rodney. "I understand your desire to find John ... I share it. But John would not want you to take unnecessary risks on his behalf Rodney. If Mr Woolsey knew the full story he would not have approved this mission."

"It's _not _a risk," Rodney replied, looking at Teyla openly so she would see he believed what he was saying. "Lorne will fly us to that planet, we'll either find something down near the drilling station or we won't ... and then we'll come home."

"Okay," Ronon shifted, shrugging when Teyla glanced at him. "He's right - unless there's something to shoot down there I wouldn't be much help anyway. You either."

"Very well," Teyla agreed reluctantly. "But you will be careful Rodney."

"Of course," Rodney grinned for the first time that day. "And the best thing will be that if we do find this amplifier we'll have a way to locate Sheppard."

"Without Woolsey finding out about Sheppard and Atlantis?" Ronon commented pointedly. "Without Lorne finding out?"

"I ah ... I haven't worked that bit out yet," Rodney admitted.

"Then you had best put some thought into how you intend to explain this Rodney," Teyla suggested seriously. "_Before_ you return to Atlantis."

"I'm on it," Rodney agreed.

oOo

Five minutes later than he'd said Rodney finally made it to Jumper Two, finding Major Lorne already in the pilot seat and impatient to get moving.

"Nice of you to join me," Evan said pointedly.

"Ronon and Teyla weren't happy about being left behind," Rodney explained openly, getting a nod of acknowledgement from Lorne.

"Understandable," the Major agreed. "You got everything McKay?"

"Let's go already," Rodney said impatiently, like he hadn't been the one to delay their departure in the first place.

"Control, this is Jumper Two ready for approach to the Gate," the Major announced.

"Jumper Two, you are clear to proceed," Chuck replied.

"Acknowledged," Lorne adjusted the controls and within minutes the Jumper was dropping down in front of the open wormhole. Lorne sent the little ship through, arriving into space moments later. "Now for the boring bit," he quipped, setting a course for their old planet.

"I'll just ...," Rodney trailed off, gesturing to the rear section and his laptop vaguely.

"You do that McKay," Lorne agreed casually.

**Authors Note:**

I _know_ - no Sheppard this chapter but don't worry ... we'll check in on him next time. Also, thanks to _jasminesmommy_ for pointing out my error with using the planet near the La Grange Satelitte originally - no gate there! So I changed it just a bit.


	5. It is only a matter of time

**Chapter 5: It is only a matter of time**

"That's right Colonel," the unseen voice acknowledged. "Perhaps now you will reconsider your current stance on demonstrating your skills with Ancient technology?"

"So what - IOA or NID?" Sheppard queried, completely ignoring his captors question. "Please don't tell me you're someone new because we have enough problems already with interfering organisations who have no real understanding of anything." John pretended to think for a moment before continuing. "No ... you sound more like IOA to me ... I bet you've got the suit and tie firmly pressed into place right now, don't you?"

"Amusing," the voice replied without a hint of said emotion. "How is your head Colonel Sheppard?"

"Just fine thanks," John returned with a casual grin. "Maybe that device doesn't do what you think it does."

"Or maybe you have yet to reach the threshold Colonel," his captor replied complacently. "It is only a matter of time."

"Whatever," Sheppard deliberately closed his eyes with a yawn, crossing his arms over his chest and shifting to get comfortable against the gate. "Let me know when you get tired of this so I can go home," he said without opening his eyes.

"We shall see," the voice returned grimly.

Sheppard kept his eyes closed even though the noise inside his head was hammering pain over his skull, down his neck and across his back with vicious intensity. Keeping his expression bland took concentration but eventually John judged the silence long enough that he could open his eyes without getting an 'I told you so!' reaction from his host.

"_What now?_" he thought to himself, for the first time missing the answer he would have gotten from Atlantis if he'd been back home where he should be instead of at the mercy of a broken piece of Ancient technology.

The idea occured to him suddenly at that thought ... _broken_ technology! What if it wasn't broken?

If Sheppard could connect to the device, drown out the noise long enough to figure out why it was broadcasting brain exploding pain, he might be able to fix it. With nothing obvious from the outside his captors wouldn't even work out what he'd done for hours ... when they did they'd have no way to prove that John had done anything. It was the perfect solution. Now all he had to do was make it happen.

oOo

Fifteen hours into their flight, Rodney and Lorne again switched places, Lorne ready to take the controls back after resting for a few hours in the back of the Jumper.

"Anything happen while I was asleep?" Evan asked.

"No," McKay returned shortly, never one to enjoy enforced time in a closed space. Shifting as though about to stand up Rodney gestured to the rear section and said "I'll just go ....,"

"Colonel Sheppard talks to the city, doesn't he?" Lorne asked before Rodney could move.

"Wha- what?" Rodney stuttered, slumping back into his chair in disbelief. "Why ... why would you ... how? No ... of course not!"

"Don't try to deny it McKay," Lorne replied, motioning for Rodney to get up so he could take back the pilots position. "If I wasn't already sure your reaction to that question would have confirmed it. You'd have laughed me out of this jumper if the answer was no."

"You're _sure _Sheppard talks to Atlantis?" Rodney repeated, moving to sit in the copilot's seat as he looked at Lorne uncertainly. "How?"

"Detailed information about what was going on in the city ten thousand years ago that didn't come from the database," Lorne began. "Finding new systems and devices but not through investigation or exploration. The Colonel sitting in the control chair for four days supposedly running a maintenance procedure. Him being desperate to fix the systems over structural damage that could have seen the central tower collapse." Looking at Rodney, Evan raised an eyebrow. "Should I continue?"

"How do you know we didn't find all that information in the database Major?" Rodney said defensively, ignoring the specifics about John's behaviour. "I'll have you know that I'm ... my team and I are _very_ good at making something from statements you couldn't possibly understand."

"Right," Evan laughed rather than take offence to that. "Let's just assume that my research skills are up to par with 'your team' Doctor and move on. Do you want to know what convinced me?"

"Ah ... do I?" Rodney asked uncertainly, not sure how participating in this conversation was a breach of his agreement with John not to tell anyone about Atlantis but sure that somehow it was.

"Had a dream," Lorne replied simply, "probably similar to the one that's got you eager to spend 40 hours trapped in the back of a Puddle Jumper."

"Atlantis spoke to you in a dream?" Rodney wasn't sure why that fact had him feeling ... jealous? Shrugging that off, Rodney looked at the Major. "Tell me," he demanded impatiently.

"Nice lady, middle aged but kinda young somehow too," Lorne described what he'd seen. "Except the eyes ... wise ... ancient ... see right through you. Wearing the standard white dress those Ancient gals seemed to go for. Am I close?"

"Go on," Rodney neither confirmed nor denied that he recognised the image Lorne had described so accurately.

"Okay," Lorne shrugged, happy to play along for the moment. "When the dream started I was back at the mining colony on P3X-403 - it felt real but at the same time somehow I knew it wasn't. I saw a flash of something in the trees just like before ... I followed just like before ... but instead of finding Lieutenant Ritter there she was, standing on the path waiting for me."

"What did she say?" Rodney was captivated in spite of himself.

"That she was pleased to meet me," Lorne admitted with a faint hint of embarrassment. "She told me her preference had always been to speak only with Colonel Sheppard because he's the strongest gene carrier. And then she apologised for not introducing herself to me before now ... which kind of made it sound like she could have, if she'd wanted to. Then she said Colonel Sheppard needed her help - to do that she needed my help ... told me I had to take you back to the planet of her origins and help you retrieve something. When I asked her why she promised she'd explain once we had what she needed." Lorne glanced at Rodney, noting the thoughtful look on his face. "That was it."

"The amplifier is Ancient Tech," Rodney concluded. "It makes sense she'd want me here because in all likelihood it's damaged. Plus integrating it into the Gate systems will require someone of my skills ... Atlantis knows I'm capable from that whole control chair incident." Rodney smiled weakly as Lorne raised an eyebrow over the reminder of something he hadn't been privy too. "Sheppard will ah ... I'm sure you'll be debriefed on that once ... you know ...," he trailed off, not really sure _what_ John would end up doing about Lorne's deduced knowledge. Regrouping, Rodney continued. "Obviously whatever Atlantis wants us to do with it will ultimately require someone with the natural gene ... someone a little stronger than the average Joe."

"Obviously," Lorne agreed lightly. "So ... _how _long has the Colonel been talking to the city?" Evan slanted a glance at Rodney before turning back to watch the view screen.

"Um ...," Rodney squirmed uncomfortably in his chair. "A while ... you really need to talk to Sheppard yourself Major. I don't think it's my place to tell you."

"Fair enough," Lorne shrugged casually. He'd known McKay wouldn't reveal anything he shouldn't but it was fun to tease him just a little. "Go get some rest ... we still have a long way to go."

oOo

"There it is," Lorne drew Rodney's attention to the forward screen where their old planet was now visible.

"It looks ... lonely," Rodney muttered, moving to sit in the co-pilot chair. After forty hours he was tired and cranky and sick to death of being in the Puddle Jumper which felt smaller with every hour that passed.

"It's a planet McKay," Evan reminded him pointedly. "How close do we need to be before you can pick up the remains of the mining station."

"Very," Rodney replied. "Last time we were almost on top of it before it registered."

"Great," Lorne replied. "I guess we start where the platform used to be and take it from there."

Not waiting for Rodney's input Lorne set the course. Space gradually morphed into the atmosphere and then into blue sky. Moments later he'd retracted the engine pods and was plunging beyond the surface of the water and into the depths.

"Standard search grid," Evan told Rodney, calling up the HUD and getting them started on grid 1.

oOo

After the hours of travel to get there Lorne had expected it to take hours more to find the mobile drilling station.

"I'm picking up something," Rodney announced after they'd only been at it for half an hour.

"Where?" Lorne called up the HUD to set their bearings.

"Right ... there," Rodney highlighted the area on the map. "What do you know? It's the station - almost exactly where we left it!"

"Thank God for that," Lorne said feelingly.

Flying the Jumper towards the Puddle Jumper docking ports Evan grinned. Finally time for some action. Avoiding the damaged docking station - the one Ronon had shot out when the Wraith Queen had control of Colonel Sheppard, Lorne guided the ship towards another dock - the one he'd used when he'd last come to the station to 'rescue' Team Sheppard.

"_Rodney_," Lorne drew the other mans attention with his grim tone.

"Oh what now?" Rodney complained, looking up and then groaning with dismay.

"Where's the docking station?" Lorne asked pointedly.

"Ah ... gone," Rodney stared at the gaping whole where the port should have been.

"I'm guessing there aren't any other ports, right?" Lorne queried.

"Um ... no," Rodney tapped away at his laptop, calling up schematics for the drilling station. "Sensors show the station is mostly airtight which frankly is a miracle. There are a couple of outer sections fully submerged, including the chamber housing the umbilical that used to be attached to Atlantis."

"Can we get in?" Lorne asked, taking the Puddle Jumper slowly around the station.

"Maybe," Rodney said distractedly, tapping some more. "Okay," he said after a few moments. "This is going to be risky but ...,"

"But _what_ McKay?" Lorne demanded when the other man fell silent.

"It should work," Rodney concluded, turning to Lorne with a pained expression. "How do you feel about going for a swim?"

"I could do without it," Lorne returned. "Tell me."

"The moon pool is submerged but it looks like the systems shouldn't be damaged," Rodney explained. "We fly the Jumper up into the pool - it'll be tight but we should fit. We seal the forward section, raise the shield and then open the hatch. Using one of the diving suits we brought you step through the shield and then it's just a short walk to the controls. All you have to do is reinitialise the internal pressure and drain the room - I can guide you from the front section."

"Is that all?" Lorne said sarcastically. "What shield McKay?"

"The one I rigged up on the way over here," Rodney said like it would be obvious. "Didn't I mention that?"

"No you didn't," Lorne returned irritably.

"Oh," Rodney humpfed. "I was sure I ...," he trailed off with a shrug. "I converted the cloak so we can shield the Jumper - designed it so that things can get out but not in."

"There's no other way?" Lorne asked seriously.

"None," Rodney replied simply.

"Okay, lets get it done then," Lorne returned decisively.

Flying the Jumper towards the base of the drilling station Lorne quickly found the entrance to the moon pool ... slowly he raised the ship upwards, cringing as the sides scraped against the edges of the opening. Rodney was right - it was tight but a few seconds later the Jumper broke free. Taking direction from Rodney Evan guided the little ship towards the section of the room containing the controls and set her gently down on the floor.

"Phase one complete," he said lightly, getting up and moving towards the back section.

Stripping down to his boxers and t-shirt and then struggling into the tight fighting wet suit, it took Evan a few minutes to get kitted out ready for his underwater walk.

"Don't worry Major," Rodney stood in front of him , watching as Lorne tested all the equipment to make sure it was working properly. "The pressure inside the chamber is nowhere near as high as it would be if you were doing this out on the ocean floor. As long as you don't take too long you should be fine."

"Very reassuring McKay," Lorne's voice was muffled by the mask he'd just placed over his eyes and nose. "Okay - I'm ready."

"Good luck Major," Rodney said. Seating himself in the pilot seat he closed the bulk head doors.

Lorne stood in the middle of the back section facing the rear hatch. He saw the visible wave of energy travelling up the outside of the Jumper as Rodney engaged the shield. A moment later the hatch slowly lowered and Lorne was treated to the bizarre sight of a wall of water held back invisibly by the shield technology.

"Can you hear me Major?" Rodney's voice echoed directly in Lorne's ear.

"Yes," Lorne replied. "I won't be able to reply once I'd got my regulator in McKay."

"I know ... I should be able to see you once you clear the back of the Jumper," Rodney explained. "When you get to the controls I'll tell you what to do."

"Understood," Lorne approached the watery doorway, stopping just before his feet touched the shield. Putting his regulator in place Evan steeled himself and then took a resolute stride forward, his foot passing effortlessly through the shield.

The sensation of icy cold water, different pressures, and the tingling where the shield enclosed his leg wasn't exactly pleasant ... Lorne was pretty sure this was one of those times when ripping the proverbial band aid off would be preferable. Moving quickly, Evan cleared the rear of the Jumper and was suddenly fully submerged in water. Walking around the front of the Puddle Jumper he held one thumb up as he passed the front view screen and saw Rodney watching him.

Rodney pointed towards the console insistently. Nodding, Lorne walked towards it, his steps feeling heavy and uncoordinated under the weight of the water. Arriving at the controls he looked across for McKay's instructions.

"Okay, is there power?" Rodney asked, his voice echoing loudly in the watery silence.

Putting a hand to the controls Lorne pressed the buttons, looking up he held a thumb down.

"Not unexpected," Rodney replied easily. "You'll have to restore power manually. Below the console there's a door panel - open it and take the third crystal from the top out. Swap it for the first crystal."

Lorne knelt down in front of the console and got to work following Rodney's instructions. The diving gloves he was wearing made even the simple task of removing the door more difficult than it should have been but somehow Evan managed to get it done. Standing again he activated the console once more, this time rewarded with an active display. Holding his thumb up to Rodney he announced their first success.

"Excellent," Rodney congratulated him. "Now call up the pressure control status screen - once you have it, find the reset to default command and activate it."

Lorne had to scroll through a few screens before he found what he was looking for, Rodney giving him further instruction on the specific symbols to look for. Once the pressure reset had been activated Lorne could feel the difference in pressure, the water seeming to press him down into the floor even more than before.

"We have to move quickly now," Rodney announced. "Under the console is a lever with a press button control. You need to hold down the button while raising the lever. The manual controls will drain the water from the room ... with the pressure reset the moon pool should maintain at floor level."

Feeling the need to hurry, Lorne dropped back down, found the button and pressed it firmly. Raising the lever at the same time it still took a few moments before Evan knew anything was happening.

"It's working Major," Rodney confirmed. "I know you must be feeling the pressure by now but just hang in there just a little longer."

"_What else am I going to do?_" Lorne thought in amusement. It wasn't like he had anywhere else to go!

The water level in the chamber gradually lowered ... and then abruptly Lorne's head broke the surface, followed slowly by the rest of him. Pulling the regulator from his mouth Lorne breathed in the restored air of the Drilling Station.

"Okay, McKay," he announced through the radio. "Your turn ... find us that amplifier."


	6. We're not off the planet yet

**Chapter 6: We're not off the planet yet**

"Already on it," Rodney replied, appearing at the back of the Jumper carrying his laptop and an Ancient hand held scanner.

Lorne moved into rear section, quickly changing back into his BDU's and boots before rejoining his companion outside. "Where to?" he asked, clipping his P90 to his vest and switching on the light. The station had power but the room was still dimly lit - the rest of the station likely to be the same.

Looking down at the display Rodney pointed to his right. "This way," he said, walking with his eyes on the screen.

"Careful McKay," Lorne gently corrected Rodney's course, steering him away from tripping over storage boxes haphazardly abandoned around them.

"The amplifier ... at least the most likely location for it, is two levels up," Rodney glanced up quickly, oblivious to Lorne's assistance.

"We'll take the stairs," Evan said decisively. That got Rodney's attention. "This station has been down here with who knows what damage for a year McKay," Lorne pointed out. "I don't know about you but I don't fancy the idea of getting stuck in a transporter because you were too lazy to do a little climbing."

"Fine," Rodney muttered, leading the way again. He'd never been fond of stairs ... the difference between his and the military contingent's fitness never more evident that when he was forced to follow one of them up multiple flights.

They walked through the station in silence after that ... of course the place felt deserted. It _was_ deserted ... but the atmosphere was more than that. If Rodney had to put words on it he'd have gone with abandoned ... cold ... and maybe a little accusing. Shaking his head at the fanciful turn of thought, Rodney let the Major take the lead once they got to the stairs, puffing along behind him and swearing to himself for the hundredth time that he'd put some effort into his fitness once this was all over.

"Okay, we should be getting close to the Communications Room," Rodney revealed a few minutes later.

"That's where the amplifier is?" Lorne asked.

"That's where I _hope_ it is," Rodney countered. "With only vague details to go on I'm guessing Lantia used to communicate with the people stationed down here like she does with Sheppard. Well, before she stopped talking to everyone that is. Anyway, given the distance I think she needed something to boost her strength, so to speak. Hence ... amplifier."

"Makes sense," Evan agreed.

"Well, let's see if I'm right," Rodney swiped a hand over the door controls, but nothing happened. "Mmm," he muttered, looking at his scanner. "Mechanism must be jammed," he glanced at Lorne with a frown. "I'll have to override it manually."

"Do it," Lorne agreed, folding his arms over his chest as he waited for Rodney to do his thing.

Prying the panel away from the internal controls, Rodney quickly pulled one of the crystals. The light inside that had signalled power was getting to the controls went out. "Now we just have to muscle the doors open," he announced.

"_Just_," Evan muttered, stepping up and working the tips of his fingers into the gap between the two panels that made up the door. Shifting so that his back was to one edge he put a foot up against the other and pulled with as much force as he could muster. A small opening appeared, allowing him to get a better grip. Redoubling his efforts, Evan groaned as the doors slowly creaked open. When he just couldn't open them any further he stopped, putting his foot back down on the floor.

The resulting splash was clearly audible.

"McKay," Lorne ground out, looking down and seeing more than just a little water escaping from inside the room.

"This section must have been damaged when we broke the connection a year ago," Rodney explained, looking down at the floor with a worried expression. "There's no evidence it was fully submerged though so more than likely it's just a leak. Resetting the station's pressure probably shifted the balance in there a little but ... well, we should hurry it up."

"Oh, you _think_?" Evan retorted. Climbing carefully through the opening Lorne entered the Communications Room, turning just in time to see Rodney squeezing himself painfully through the gap.

"You did that on purpose," Rodney complained, wincing and rubbing at his stomach once he'd made it into the room.

"The door wouldn't go any further McKay," Lorne said innocently, grinning. "I can't help it if you're carrying a little 'desk' weight."

"Sure," Rodney muttered, moving quickly forward. Putting his hand on the main console had all the screens flickering to life.

The increased illumination provided just enough light to see to the edges of the room. It looked surprisingly undamaged, apart from a large crack in the wall beside the window. Lorne moved to investigate. Putting his hand on the crack, he took it away and then glanced down at his palm. "Water," he told Rodney quietly.

"I know," Rodney replied, pressing buttons on the console as he called up the design schematics for the station. "Something must have hit the outer wall pretty hard ... luckily not enough to breach it. Us being here has affected the equilibrium that's kept this section from being submerged all this time."

"Is this something I need to worry about?" Evan asked pointedly.

"Pressure's holding," Rodney said distractedly. "We're good for now."

"It's the 'for now' I find disturbing Rodney," Lorne returned.

"Just let me -," Rodney broke off, his face taking on that look of triumph everyone was so familiar with. "Got it," he announced, moving away from the console and heading for the door. Glancing back to see Evan still standing in place, he added "you coming?"

"Where?" Evan raised an eyebrow expectantly.

"Oh - sorry," Rodney shrugged. "Systems junction a few corridors away ... we'll have to remove the wall panels to get at the amplifier."

Nodding, Evan followed Rodney from the room. "Should we close this?" he asked curiously, gesturing to the doors.

"Probably," Rodney agreed. Lorne moved to push the door closed but it wouldn't budge, no matter how much effort he put into it. "What's wrong?" Rodney asked.

"You wanna have a go?!" Lorne retorted, glaring at Rodney as he panted in exertion.

"Ah .. no, no," Rodney took a quick step back like the door might jump up and bite him. "You're doing great."

"This thing is jammed tight," Evan finally conceded after trying again, slumping against the wall. "Nothing's gonna move it."

"Look, it probably doesn't matter," Rodney replied. "It's not like we're gonna come back here again, is it? It would only be important if we wanted to reclaim the station."

"I didn't think I'd be coming here now," Lorne returned. Sighing, he gestured down the corridor. "Control junction," he said, inviting Rodney to lead the way again.

Rodney nodded, pulling his portable scanner out and once again walking while watching the screen. "I loaded the map on here," he explained as they headed deeper into the station. It took another five minutes before he stopped, pointing at a section of the wall. "Behind there," he announced.

"I got it," Lorne pulled a Swiss army knife from his vest, opening it and using a screw driving implement to pop out the panel Rodney had pointed to and the ones on either side.

"Oh," Rodney muttered, his face surprised as both men looked into the opening they'd created.

"What?" Lorne demanded, wishing the other man would stop doing that.

"Nothing," Rodney replied, glancing at Lorne quickly before looking back into the cavity. "I was just hoping the amplifier would be right here so we could just unplug it."

"I take it it's not gonna be that easy?" Lorne queried, not surprised.

"It'll just take a little longer," Rodney explained. "I'll need to remove this outer systems structure first," he gestured to the rows of crystals and slots. "The device is somewhere behind it."

Not waiting for Lorne's acknowledgement, Rodney set to work. Evan acted as torch bearer and assistant, taking each component Rodney handed him and setting it aside in some kind of order, just in case they had to put it all back together at the end. They'd completed half the job when the station suddenly shook, knocking them both off their feet.

"What -?" Rodney pushed himself up from the floor in confusion.

"Stay here McKay!" Lorne ordered. "I'll go check it out - you keep working!"

Running down the corridor, it wasn't long before Evan encountered the water running down the floor towards him. "McKay," he said over the radio as he continued, boots splashing with each running step. As he moved forward the water gained in both speed and quantity. "We've got a serious problem here - I've got a small river of water coming from the Communications Room."

"The crack," Rodney said in a sick voice. "The increased pressure inside the station must have put more force on the area than I thought and accelerated the breech."

"And then some," Lorne arrived at the door, grim faced as he watched water gushing from the opening. He took up position in the doorway, once again trying to force the doors closed but it was a futile effort. If he couldn't close it before it was unlikely he would now the water was acting to keep it open. All he ended up doing was getting himself good and wet.

"How's it coming down there?" Evan asked Rodney for a progress report, turning and running back towards Rodney's position.

"Too slowly," Rodney returned grimly, his voice choppy with nerves.

"I'm heading back to you," Lorne replied, increasing his pace to the point of sprinting, water splashing up with every step.

The small river had turned into a large one, covering the width of the corridor and rising slowly up the walls. Worse than that, he was now heading downhill ... obviously the moorings themselves had been damaged when Atlantis had left the planet. Now the station had become unbalanced as water filled one section ... that must have caused the shaking they'd felt.

It made progress difficult ... by the time Lorne got to Rodney the water was up to his knees and he was seriously worried about the condition of the Moon Pool. Surely the increased breach in the Communications Room had altered the internal pressure again? They'd be lucky if that hadn't affected the water level of the Pool.

Rodney was working rapidly but carefully, as he pulled out the remaining structure hiding the component they needed.

"You haven't got the device out yet?" Lorne demanded. "We don't have time for the careful approach McKay."

"If I don't do this right I could damage the amplifier, making this entire journey a waste of time, not to mention seriously impacting on our ability to find Sheppard," Rodney retorted, stubbornly continuing the way he had been.

"Yeah, and if we don't get out of here very soon we won't be leaving at all," Lorne shot back. "In case you've forgotten, the level of water in the Moon Pool relies on the right pressure inside the station ... unless we can get back there soon the Jumper's gonna be submerged ... then its goodbye us!"

"I just need a few more minutes," Rodney, his face pale with worry, insisted. He knew they were cutting it fine but he couldn't see any other way ... he just had to move faster, that was all.

Moving closer, Lorne peered into the opening. "Which one is the amplifier?" he asked curiously.

"The big circular thing in the middle," Rodney replied in a slightly condescending tone.

"This?" Lorne pointed to a donut like object with leads connected at multiple points. In the middle were a series of crystals with more cable leading further into the wall. Evan frowned, shooting a quick glance at McKay. Before the other man could stop him, Lorne reached into the wall, grabbed the device and yanked hard.

It came free abruptly, throwing the Major back against the opposite wall.

"Are you insane?" Rodney demanded, watching Lorne in disbelief. Looking back at the opening he swallowed hard. Some of the leads were still attached to the amplifier but the rest were still in the wall, their ends seeming to point at him accusingly.

Straightening, Lorne ignored the question. "Here," he held out the amplifier, face sternly telling the other man to take it and move on.

"Fine," Rodney muttered, grabbing the device and putting it in the back pack he'd brought. Checking it quickly first, he was only slightly reassured to see that all the central crystals appeared to be there.

"Hurry it up McKay," Lorne urged, pointing to the water line that was now at mid thigh height.

Closing the pack Rodney shouldered it and then began pushing his way through the water back the way they'd come.

Only now that he had what they'd come for did Rodney really take notice of his physical state. The water was cold ... _really_ cold, and the feeling of ice travelling up from his feet was less than pleasant. Shivering slightly, Rodney manfully followed the Major as he led the way towards the Moon Pool room.

It was slow going despite their urgency, and it only got harder as the water continued to rise.

"You okay McKay?" Lorne glanced back to make sure the other man was keeping up.

"No," Rodney's breath puffed out harshly as he continued walking. "I can't feel my feet ... or my ... other parts. I don't want to even _think_ about how much colder it's gonna get in here."

"You're doing great Rodney," Lorne told him, meaning it. "We're almost there so just ... keep going."

"Not like I've got any other choice," Rodney muttered, pushing forward through the water, more miserable than he could remember feeling in some time. "Sheppard is so gonna owe me after this."

"I'll make sure he's knows how much you went through McKay," Evan replied, turning a corner and breathing a sigh of relief. "See," he stopped and gestured forward. "The Moon Pool."

"Oh thank God," Rodney intoned, increasing his pace with renewed purpose.

The door of course didn't open when Lorne swiped a hand over the controls ... Evan waited impatiently while Rodney once again bypassed the automatic systems. Pushing this door open was harder than the first one had been ... Lorne didn't know where he got the strength from but within moments he had an opening wide enough for them to get through.

The news once they got a look inside wasn't good. Water hadn't rushed from the corridor into the room because the water level inside was much the same. The Puddle Jumper was already submerged more than half way.

"Shit," Rodney muttered.

"Yeah," Lorne agreed, urging him forward. Once they were standing at the hatch he turned to Rodney. "How are we gonna get in without filling the rear section with water?"

"We're not," Rodney said grimly. "You'll just have to empty the water out somehow before we close the hatch or the extra weight will impede us from breaking clear of the atmosphere."

"I was afraid you'd say that," Lorne replied. "Okay ... ready?" When Rodney nodded wordlessly Lorne activated the remote to open the rear. It lowered slower than usual with the water applying a force against it ... but eventually water rushed into the back of the Jumper until the hatch was down and the level inside was the same as outside.

Both men hurried inside as soon as the hatch was low enough.

"Strap in tight," Lorne ordered, throwing himself into the pilot's chair. Powering up the ship, he slowly raised it from the floor ... feeling the extra weight in how hard it was for him to control everything. If they'd left it too much longer Lorne was convinced he wouldn't have been able to raise the ship at all.

Thankful the room had a high ceiling, Evan cleared the water level with the hatch still open and then carefully applied a tilt to pour the water from the back section. Without the Jumper's ability to hover in place, none of what he'd had to do so far would have been possible.

"This is insane," Rodney muttered, staring straight at the roof as the Jumper got almost perpendicular to the floor before all the water was gone.

"Now the hard part," Lorne announced, righting the ship and closing the hatch.

"_What_?" Rodney protested. "I thought that _was_ the hard part!"

"Ah ... not really," Evan shrugged. "Now I have to get us out of here and I'm thinking going out the way we came in might not be the best idea. The station's hardly stable and the force of the water pushing up from the pool coupled with the tight fit makes that problematic."

"You're not suggesting what I think you're suggesting ... are you?" Rodney asked sickly.

"Gonna make a new exit," Lorne announced blandly, bringing up the HUD and scanning it quickly. "There," he pointed to one of the walls. "That way is the fastest route out from here ... a couple of drones should do the trick."

Not waiting for Rodney to agree, Evan sent two drones from the ship towards the wall. They impacted with force, slamming through the wall and continuing forward, creating a large whole in their wake. Water rushed through rapidly, following the path made by the drones.

Lorne flew the jumper through the hole, water pushing against the front and splashing down the sides. They cleared the Moon Pool room and burst forward into another larger room ... the drones had punched through there too, leaving a jagged hole hopefully big enough for the Jumper to pass through.

Water was gushing in from all directions, splashing the walls as it filled the room.

"There you go," Lorne shot Rodney a quick look, amused when the other man looked less than happy despite the fact they now had a way out.

"This planet has it in for us!" Rodney protested, less than reassured.

"Don't be ridiculous McKay," Lorne returned, striving to keep the Jumper steady while he waited for the room to be completely submerged.

"No - seriously," Rodney retorted. "It's like that song - it knows we've found somewhere new and now it's pissed."

"It's a planet McKay, not an ex lover," Lorne drawled, amused despite the situation.

"Laugh it you want," Rodney muttered, "but they don't say hell has no fury like a woman scorned for nothing."

"Actually it's 'Heaven has no rage like love to hatred turned, nor hell a fury like a woman scorned'," Lorne corrected absently, watching the HUD as he kept an eye on the situation outside the Jumper.

"Well excuse me Mister Shakespeare!" Rodney returned snidely.

"William Congreve's," Lorne corrected again, spearing Rodney with another amused look. "But the sentiment is right ... if Lantia were a jilted woman, which it's not."

"No, it's a jilted planet capable of swallowing us without a trace," Rodney retorted grimly as the room finally filled completely.

"Lighten up McKay," Evan skilfully manoeuvred the Jumper towards the gagged hole in the outermost wall. Moments later they were free of the station and out into open water. "See?"

"We're not off the planet yet," Rodney muttered.

For a moment it did seem as though the sea itself were trying to hold on to the Jumper ... then with a burst of motion the ship broke free from the ocean and powered quickly towards the atmosphere.

"Feeling better now?" Lorne asked once they were back in space with the course back to the space gate laid in.

"Not really," Rodney retorted, spearing Evan with a disgruntled look. "I'm cold and tired and ... and _soggy_ and I don't have anything else to wear! Not to mention the fact that I have to repair the amplifier ... the one _you_ damaged with your rip it out of the wall strategy!"

"If it had been up to you we'd be drowning down there right about now," Lorne pointed out irritably. He was cold and wet himself and like Rodney, had nothing to change in to ... he was _so_ not in the mood for more complaints. "You can thank me any time!"

"Thank you!" Rodney muttered ungraciously. Abruptly his eyebrow raised in surprise as a thought occurred to him. "How'd she know?" he asked.

"How'd who know what?" Evan queried impatiently.

"How did Lantia know that it would take both of us to get the amplifier off that planet?" Rodney clarified. "You don't think that somehow she knows the future?"

"Of course not McKay!" Lorne returned incredulously. "It was luck - nothing more. She knew you had to be there for the techie stuff and everybody knows you're a terrible pilot so it made sense I'd have to be here too. There was no point in risking anyone else beyond the two of us. Simple as that."

"Right," Rodney nodded, shaking himself. "Right." It was too easy to ascribe abilities when you were talking about an inanimate object you shouldn't even be able to talk to in the first place.

"Hadn't you better get to work?" Lorne looked pointedly at the broken device lying abandoned on the floor in the back of the Puddle Jumper. "You've got 20 hours to get that thing operational again."

"Lucky I thought to bring some parts and equipment then isn't it?" Rodney said smugly, getting up to head for the back section.

"You're a regular genius McKay," Lorne quipped, chuckling when Rodney's expression showed he was considering how that was an insult.

Turning back to the front view screen Evan sighed. It was a long way home and they still had to work out what the hell to do with the amplifier. The idea of relying on a being that came to him in dreams was disturbing but since they didn't have any other options Lorne resolved to make the best of it.

**Authors Note:**

I know what you're thinking? Isn't this supposed to be a Sheppard story? So where's John? It _is_ a Sheppard story but I had to get them retrieving the amplifier out of the way first before I could do anything else. In the next chapter we'll find out what's going on with John.

Oh, and if you're wondering why Lorne didn't just shoot drones at the Moon Pool to make that opening bigger, I decided that would be harder than shooting a hole in the wall. Plus it makes more sense to create destruction away from where you are than right underneath you ... just in case things don't go according to plan. Not that that ever happens on Atlantis, right? LOL


	7. Process complete

**Chapter 7: Process ... complete**

For what felt like the hundredth time Sheppard tried to mentally connect to the malfunctioning Ancient device. He didn't think his headache could get any worse but somehow it had ... his head was one big mess of throbbing pain and it was seriously hampering his efforts.

As time went on he found himself missing Atlantis ... if he'd been able to tap into his connection with her at the very least she could have dulled the pain, smoothed the way for him to think clearer. And Rodney ... what John wouldn't give for a little McKay complaining right about now, especially if it was accompanied by a cunning plan to get him out of this. It'd been a while since Sheppard had been completely alone and in need of rescuing ... and while he _could_ do it, find a way to get himself out of this, it didn't mean he had to like it.

John glared at 'the cube from hell' as he'd dubbed it. All he wanted to do was fix the stupid thing but his current approach just wasn't working. He needed something to help him concentrate. Closing his eyes wasn't an option – the devices' effects seemed amplified when he did that. Quickly considering everything he had on him gave Sheppard an idea.

Reaching for his P-90, John unclipped the strap and then efficiently and smoothly began to dismantle the weapon into its major components. Trigger group, barrel and optical sight assembly, butt plate, magazine, bolt carrier and recoil assembly, stock body and trigger. Laying them out carefully on the floor in a prescribed pattern he then took a moment to set himself before rapidly reassembling the submachine gun.

Repeating the process a few times, John began to feel better ... the familiar activity, the way his hands just fell to the task without conscious thought lending his mind a surface of calm and focus sorely needed.

Continuing his dismantle and reassemble activity, John turned his mental attention back to the Ancient device. He'd been trying to get it to do some kind of self diagnostic but just couldn't find the right pathway. Probably because he had no idea what the thing was supposed to do. He'd refrained from getting close to it in the physical sense, not wanting to tip his captors off to his plans. The outside probably wouldn't help all that much anyway - for this distance it looked like a standard Ancient 'cube'. John had seen more than a few of those in his time on Atlantis, enough to know there were a number of functions that could all apply here.

Maybe if he could look at the internal schematics he'd be able to work out the function of _this_ cube and from there get the thing to diagnose its own problem. Usually when John operated Ancient tech, anything he requested would appear on a display screen for him to look at. Like the HUD on a Puddle Jumper. Here there were no view screens ... he'd just have to discover for himself how Ancient devices accounted for that lack because he had no doubt they would in some way.

"_Ah ... schematics_," John thought at the device.

Immediately his mind was assaulted with a flashing mass of pathways and junctions ... kind of like one of those special effects segments where they film a car travelling down well lit roads and then play it back super fast.

"_Slowly_," John pleaded, wincing at the renewed pain even as his hands continued their automatic task with the P-90.

Everything slowed down and as the information was presented to him again, John began to get a horrible feeling that really bad news was approaching.

The device was familiar ... in a creepy, unpleasant kind of way.

John wasn't sure how it was possible or even _if_ it was possible ... just that the inside of that cube felt too much like that storage device Rodney had trapped Aperio into to be a coincidence.

A feeling of dread and fear swept over him ... not that he'd admit to it but Sheppard's experience with the Aperio avatar was right up there on his list of things never to be lived through again. They'd struggled to beat it too ... he'd had to practically kill himself before they'd succeeded in removing Aperio from the Atlantis systems.

McKay had put layers of encryption and protection on the unit and then Lorne had launched it into orbit around their old planet. How was it possible that it had ended up here?

Was that how the IOA had found out about his connection to the city? Had they managed to retrieve some of the information from the storage system?

Frowning, John tried to remember what his host had said about the device. They'd found it at a historic site ... the old planet _could_ qualify for that title. With other artefacts though? The expedition had left nothing behind. Of course, all this was him assuming that bad guys tell the truth. He'd been around the block enough times to know that was almost never the case ... that often they lied just for the sake of it.

So ... that innocent looking cube _could_ be the one holding Aperio. The fact that it was broken even lent a little credibility to his theory. It had been circling Lantea for over a year ... in space, subject to who knew what kind of external forces. That _could_ have led to it's current malfunctions.

Regardless of the how, Sheppard was now in the position of having to change his strategy. He couldn't have the device run a self diagnostic and fix itself ... not without risking Aperio coming back and biting him from inside that system. Sure, she was contained, or at least he bloody well hoped so. But there was no way he was merging his brain with that thing to the depth required for him to fix it.

He'd have to shut it off despite what that would reveal to his captors ... or maybe .... narrowing his eyes at the offending device, John reconsidered. _Maybe_ he could tweak it in the opposite direction. It was already broken ... surely he could break it enough to put it out of action completely.

If he did it the right way there'd be no evidence he had anything to do with it ... in fact, the more he thought about it the more he realised it was a better course of action than fixing the device because who was to say a broken machine couldn't get to the point of dying completely, all by itself? Happened all the time.

Now, how to do that ... an idea hit him and Sheppard began to smile. From what he recalled of Rodney's explanation, the device was just a portable file storage system ... designed to back up large blocks of data.

"_Duplicate all files and store locally_," he thought at the device, crossing his fingers that whatever was wrong with it would still allow that command to be actioned, given that it was a primary one.

Keeping one part of his attention on the progress of the device and the other on his P-90 concentration efforts John didn't have to wait long for something to happen.

"_Process complete_." John mentally read the status of the device with quiet amusement. Yes, this was going to work out nicely.

"_Duplicate all files and store locally_," Sheppard repeated his prior command. It might take time but it would work.

Rodney would be proud ... if the device _was_ the one Aperio had been trapped in then backing up the huge mass of information that made up her systems would quickly fill up the device to the point of overloading it. John wasn't sure what would happen at that point. If the thing had been in full working order then it'd probably be just like his laptop when he overestimated how much space he had left ... all he'd get was a message saying the operation couldn't be completed. Except there had been that one time when he'd gotten what Rodney had called 'the blue screen of death'. He'd scored himself a new laptop along with a healthy serve of McKay snippiness and a lecture on maintenance procedures.

Sheppard was counting on this device malfunctioning in much the same way ... attempting the save and overloading the crystals. With any luck he'd blow a couple of the essential ones and it'd be goodbye Ancient device. And if the cube _didn't_ contain the Aperio system? Well then everything would take longer but eventually he'd get the same result - quiet time for his brain.

If the plan didn't work then he'd have to think of something else ... although what exactly escaped him for the moment. The added benefit was that now he was doing something active it actually seemed to help his head ... the buzz of the device was still there but able to be pushed into the background in favour of weapons drills and a really good plan.

oOo

Sheppard kept up the steady pace of P-90 practice and repetitions of the same commands for the next half an hour without seeing any visible changes.

"What are you doing Colonel Sheppard?" his hosts voice filled the room abruptly.

Not stopping, John shrugged. He'd wondered when they'd check back with him, assuming there was some kind of time limit on their plans for him. "Well, the entertainment here leaves much to be desired. You should do something about that if you want to continue in the kidnapping business."

"We will know if you attempt to deceive us Colonel," the man warned.

"Sure you will," John shot back insolently. "Good luck with _that_."

"You will not trick us," his host said grimly. "Any attempts to do so will be punished ... severely."

"I'm just sitting here," John said innocently. Thinking quickly, he continued. "If you want me to consider doing something with that device you can start by telling me where you found it."

"You would have me believe that you will cooperate if I answer your questions?" the tone was mocking disbelief now.

"Of course not," Sheppard smirked. "I said I'd consider it ... and then rule it out as a really bad idea."

"Despite your belief that Atlantis is impenetrable, my organisation has had people serving there for some time," his host couldn't resist bragging despite John's response, his voice smug and condescending.

John gave the conversation some of his attention, the rest still on continuing his plan to overload the device. It was taking longer for the device to finish each backup ... hopefully that meant its end was near.

"You want me to believe you have spies in the city?" Sheppard queried with deliberate disbelief.

"Believe what you will Colonel," his host replied. "We learned of the existence of the device you see before you at the same time that we learned Atlantis was under attack and would have to leave Lantia. It is remarkable to me how seldom people pay attention to what I like to call 'background people' ... yourself included. Maintenance staff, cleaners, kitchen hands ... orderlies ... nurses. They move about freely and see much. With the right incentive they make very effective sources of valuable information." John could hear the amusement in the man's voice as he continued. "One man's garbage is another man's treasure."

"How'd you get to Lantia to pick it up then?" Sheppard asked, still doubting it really was the actual Aperio storage cube even though it didn't look promising.

"With the right coordinates it was easy to beam the device onto the Apollo during the confusion of the city's evacuation."

John's eyebrows rose ... things had been confusing at the time. They'd been transferring personnel and equipment, running Lorne's meteor relocation mission and trying to prepare the city to fly ... it _was_ possible that one extra beam in to the ship hadn't been noticed.

"_Process ... complete_," another back up cycle finished. John didn't miss the delayed status report either. He was close ... he could feel it.

"_Duplicate all files and store locally," _John shot the command to the device while at the same time considering what his captor had revealed. "Was it these same sources who sold you information about my supposed gene skills?" he asked mockingly.

"Our source for that is without question Colonel," his host said lightly.

"You won't get me to -," John broke off abruptly, ducking instinctively. It happened suddenly and it was a lot more spectacular than he'd been expecting. The damaged storage device had reached critical levels and just as John had hoped, when it couldn't complete his command the main crystal had overloaded. The explosion of sound was loud in the large room, echoing off the walls, a high pitched whine that quickly escalated into the sounds of destruction. A bright flash accompanied the noise ... when Sheppard could look back at the spot where the device had been hanging all that remained was a frayed rope, still swinging gently from the ceiling. On the floor beneath it were jagged pieces of metal, twisted and still smoking. The cube looked like something small and vicious had fought it's way from the inside, tearing it open without mercy.

The greatest impact wasn't visible ... in Sheppard's head _finally_ there was blessed silence.

"WHAT DID YOU DO?!" John just managed to keep from flinching as his hosts angry question reverberated off the walls.

"Me?" Sheppard questioned lightly. "Nothing!"

There was no reponse which couldn't be a good thing. John hurriedly finished the last reassembly of his P-90, training it on the hatch where ninja man had appeared before.

Instead, a door he hadn't noticed - blending into the wall and with no handle on his side - opened from behind him. Before he could turn and react he'd been hit by blue lightning from a zat'ni'katel. His body quivered and he had just enough time to understand that _that_ was why they hadn't removed his weapons before he slumped to the floor, unconscious.

**Authors Note:**

I don't even want to check how long it's been since I've updated this story ... apologies for the delay and thanks for your patience. So ... Yay! We're back to John! And Aperio? That was a surprise, right? *grins* More from Sheppard in the next chapter too ... no promises on when that'll be posted but I'll do my best.


	8. Crap!

**Chapter 8: Crap!**

After another eighteen hours in the Puddle Jumper with McKay, Lorne would have expected he'd be more than ready to launch the other man out the rear hatch. Thankfully that hadn't turned out to be the case ... an occupied Rodney McKay was a totally different beast than the one Lorne had travelled to Lantia with.

No, all he'd had to put up with was the occasional snippy complaint at the additional work he'd caused the scientist with his caveman approach to engineering extraction.

Evan had shrugged and let it flow over him like water off a ducks back ... and after he'd shared the gruesome facts about death by drowning – as far as he knew them, and of course embellished to make it perfectly clear what Rodney had risked by delaying them – the good doctor had mercifully dropped the subject.

"How's it coming McKay?" Evan asked when they were only two hours away from the space gate that would take them back home.

"I've done as much as I can here," Rodney announced, moving into the forward section and throwing himself wearily down in the co-pilot seat.

Evan glanced at the other man, frowning at the almost visible cloud of exhaustion hanging over him. The Major had rostered a few hours of sleep for each of them during the trip back but half the time Rodney had skipped his in favour of working on the amplifier and now it was showing on his face. Not that Lorne expected to be looking much better. The walk under water and under pressure along with his physical efforts while in the mining station had taken more out of him than a few hours of sleep in twenty was going to put back.

"Get some rest McKay," Lorne ordered. "That wasn't a suggestion this time," he added when Rodney made to protest.

Muttering to himself about bossy pilots and something about Sheppard knowing better than to question his sleeping habits, Rodney nevertheless complied. He stretched out with a weary sigh on the only vacant bench not strewn with the evidence of his work on the ancient device.

Rodney was all set to start worrying about how Atlantis was going to be able to use the amplifier and the Stargate to find Sheppard ... all those concerns about the sheer number of Gates in the Pegasus system and how long it was going to take to dial enough of them, not to mention the likely range of the amplifier that could see them hit on the right planet and still not find John ... but tiredness won in the end.

Lorne glanced back into the rear section a few moments later, smirking when he saw that Rodney was already asleep. "So much for not questioning your sleep habits McKay," he muttered with a chuckle.

Glancing at the HUD he sighed. Only an hour and forty minutes to go ... one hundred minutes that were probably going to feel like a thousand. The only good thing was that once he'd gotten Rodney and the amplifier back to Atlantis his part of it would be done. Lorne fully intended to head straight for the sack and leave the technical stuff to the scientists.

oOo

John came to feeling groggy and disorientated. For a moment he couldn't remember where he was ... until the hard concrete floor and the lingering headache brought it all back to him. He'd destroyed the last receptacle of Aperio and taken what he thought might be his first Zat stun for his troubles ... not bad for a day's work.

"Ah, you rejoin us," a different voice greeted John's return to consciousness. This one was cultured too but with an oddly gentle edge ... not the kind of voice you'd expect a kidnapping mastermind to have. Not that kidnapping was what this was about ... John wasn't expecting them to be delivering any ransom requests for his safe return.

Opening his eyes and wincing as light assaulted his sight, John squeezed his eyes closed again for a moment and then had another go. Okay – better. With a groan he rolled over, noting quickly that he and the other man were the only occupants of the small room he'd been dragged to. That meant there were now at least three people that Sheppard would have to get through in order to escape. Ninja man, voice over guy, and the man in front of him. Eyes adjusting, John got his first look at one of his captors.

The man was around the forty mark, on the shorter side of average height, with a lean almost effeminate build. None of that was overly interesting to Sheppard. What _was_ interesting was the fact that the man was wearing a suit ... a _business_ suit advertising more than anything else could have that he was a native of Earth. What was someone like that doing all the way out in the Pegasus galaxy? And how the hell had he got there in the first place?

"You know, a bed or a chair would have been nice," John complained as he sat up, rubbing at a sore spot on his arm. "That floor isn't exactly comfortable." Looking at his captor more closely, he took in the details. Everything about him was dark ... his hair, eyes and skin tone suggesting maybe European or Middle Eastern descent. Even his clothes were all black ... the only thing that stood out was the tiny gold pin attached to the centre of his tie shaped into a symbol John didn't recognise although it did look like some kind of bird.

"I apologise," the man replied. "These facilities are somewhat ... Spartan ... but I expect even this room is the height of luxury compared with some of your prior jails."

"Maybe," Sheppard dismissed lightly, deciding now wasn't the time to be worrying about just how much these guys knew about him. Sitting when his host was standing only accentuated the disparity of his current situation so as soon as he felt stable enough, John got slowly to his feet.

Much better – now he had the upper hand on looking down at the other man.

His host seemed amused by John's ploy even as he moved to sit behind the large desk, the only piece of furniture in the small room.

Looking around curiously, Sheppard spied the darkened window dominating one of the walls. Frowning, John turned his gaze to cover the entire room ... it was nondescript in a way that just didn't add up. The place had been stripped of every defining feature, which left the Colonel with a host of unanswered questions centred on what these people could possibly be hiding. Time to find answers to some of those questions.

"You got a name?" he asked his host, crossing his arms and leaning casually against the wall opposite the window.

"You may call me Vulture," the man replied as though bestowing a great honour.

"Vulture?" John quirked an eyebrow in surprise. "I'm guessing that's not the name your Mother gave you."

"It is both name and rank," Vulture replied. "I would not expect one such as you to understand the origins of our beliefs."

"Your _beliefs_?" Sheppard repeated. "Is this the part where you try to convince me your quest is noble ... something about the ends justifying the means?"

"The fundamental order of the universe supersedes all other concerns," Vulture's tone was complacent. "I am sorry you were stunned, but your actions in destroying the Vessel of Ma'at were a sacrilege to our order."

"Your ... 'vessel' was already broken," John pointed out. "You know how these things go ... it was only a matter of time before it stopped working completely."

"The vessel has existed for millennia," Vulture shook his head sadly. "We knew it had been damaged by its journey through space but still ... I would not have believed it could be destroyed had I not seen it for myself. My mistake was in allowing you access ... your power is truly great indeed."

"What power?" John played the dumb card with inner amusement. They had no proof ... unless they'd somehow taken a recording of what was going on inside John's head which as far as he knew was still impossible.

"You would have us believe you had nothing to do with its destruction," Vulture commented. "In time you will appreciate how easily we can see otherwise." The man's face took on an uncomfortable and regretful expression before he continued. "No matter ... I regret my companion's outburst of anger. Ma'at teaches her beloved that harmony and balance are the way of truth but Snake is somewhat new to the order. He is still learning to put this into practice on a daily basis."

"Vulture ... Snake ... I'm sensing some kind of pattern there," Sheppard smirked, hoping to get a rise out of the man. All the ... niceness was starting to get on his nerves. Sadly John was more comfortable with being captured by the 'beat you up and torture you for information' brand of hostage taker. This guy was so far outside of that box Sheppard was struggling to get a sense on where this was all going, not to mention being able to predict what might happen next.

"If you are truly interested I will tell you more of our order later," Vulture said. "For now there is something I wish to show you ... the only saving grace in the destruction of Ma'at's vessel is that through Ma'at's guidance we were able to access the vast store of knowledge contained within."

"Please tell me you didn't plug that thing into anything," John said weakly, that sense of impending doom resurging with a vengeance.

"It was Ma'at's will," Vulture replied. "Through her guidance were we able to learn much, including the fact that you and you alone hold the key to understanding and embracing the true path. As Ma'at's first beloved I am the Keeper of the Path. It is my responsibility to follow her instruction."

"I hold the key?" John was hoping against hope that when the other man said Ma'at he was speaking of whatever entity these guys had decided to worship. At the back of his mind though the sneaking suspicion had started to form. "The key to what?"

"The key to Ma'at being reunited with Re-Horakhty – master of life, the creator," Vulture explained as if surprised John didn't already know that. "Re-Horakhty is her greatest supporter ... it is not possible for each to exist without the other."

"And let me guess," John said sarcastically. "Ma'at told you that Atlantis knows where this Re-Hora-whatever is and that I could speak to her to find out for you."

"Humanity is struggling Colonel Sheppard," Vulture replied. "Wars both on Earth and across two Galaxies that test the ethical and moral fibre of mankind and continually find us wanting. Without order there is chaos and destruction – you have seen this for yourself. With Ma'at and Re-Horakhty reunited we will be able to make use of things still yet hidden under the ice. We have only scratched the surface of what the Creators, through Re-Horakhty's hand, left for us."

"Antarctica?" John felt the chill run down to the base of his spine. "Aper – sorry, _Ma'at _wants the Ancient outpost?"

"The information we found in her Vessel speaks of defensive systems that will allow our planet to achieve peace," Vulture began. "And that is only the beginning."

"Don't," John held up a hand, shifting away from the wall and approaching the desk intently. "I've already read that mission report and let me tell you, it didn't end well. Absolute power corrupts absolutely ... you would have heard that one before." John let his eyes meet the other man's as he strove to open his eyes to the real truth. "I don't know what exactly that Ancient device showed you. But what I do know is that most of it is a lie. It's not Ma'at's vessel – it's a storage device – a _machine_ created by the Ancients. It doesn't contain the teachings of someone to worship. I know because we're the ones who trapped it in there after it tried to sink the city and everyone in it."

"It might have begun as what you describe," Vulture allowed. "But Ma'at was able to use that to bring her message to a wider audience."

"The only message it'll bring is the one that says we're totally screwed," John shot back angrily. "It's evil Vulture ... and it'll take over everything if you let it. You have to delete everything you copied off that device ... hell, destroy every machine that's had any kind of contact with it. Count yourself lucky it hasn't gone further ... trust me, you don't want to meet Aperio face to face."

"It is already too late for that," Vulture replied, not troubled by John's empassioned speech. Reaching under his desk he flicked a switch.

John's eyes were drawn to the window in the wall ... to the light flickering on the other side. When it settled Sheppard realised that instead of one there were two rooms on the other side of the wall. Ninja man and another figure, probably Snake, were standing in one, dressed in black body suits with fluorescent lines and dots tracking each limb. Even their hands and feet were covered, the outfits topped off by hoods and goggles covering their eyes. They were moving strangely, their gestures making it clear that they could see something their audience couldn't.

What he saw in the second room had John's blood running cold. It wasn't possible but his eyes were delivering the image to him in real time reality.

Aperio, standing in the room, appearing as real as John himself. She'd swapped her Ancient dress code for the Egyptian equivalent and looked every inch a Goddess.

"Crap," John muttered. This was bad ... this was really, really bad.

oOo

"Wake up McKay," Lorne nudged the other man with his boot, a little firmer since the first time had little effect.

"Umph ...," Rodney made a sleepy, shuffling sound before opening his eyes abruptly. "What – how?" his eyes sharpened as he registered his surroundings.

"That's right," Evan said with a smirk. "We're back. Woolsey wants a heads up asap so get a move on."

He slapped the rear hatch opener to reveal Teyla and Ronon waiting for them, along with an eager Radek Zelenka who rushed up the ramp as soon as it was lowered enough.

"Don't touch anything," Rodney greeted his fellow scientist. "I'll come back and you can help me transport all this after the debrief."

"So you found it," Teyla said with a relieved smile.

"We found it," Rodney returned with a small smile of his own. "I'd be further along in preparing it for integration with the Stargate if Lorne hadn't ripped it out of the wall ..."

"Hey!" Evan glared at Rodney. "I thought we agreed to let that go."

"_You_ agreed," Rodney replied, impatiently waving his hands for Radek to move out of the way.

"And I suppose you would have preferred to drown?!" Lorne shot back, moving past Rodney and Radek, and out of the Jumper. Nodding to Teyla and Ronon he led the way across the bay towards the stairs leading up to the control room.

"Well ... no," Rodney said, hurrying to keep up.

"It seems there is much to tell us about your time on Lantia," Teyla commented, sharing an amused smile with Ronon.

"It does," Richard Woolsey walked out of his office and greeted both men with a nod. "Shall we?" he motioned to the conference room.

Lorne did most of the talking, describing the events on Lantia in a concise manner ruined only by Rodney's continual additions of unnecessary detail.

"So you found what you were looking for but effectively destroyed the mining platform in the process," Woolsey concluded.

"We hurried along something that was always gonna happen," Lorne clarified. "There was considerable structural damage that already had some of the station under water."

"He's right," Rodney surprised everyone by agreeing with Evan for a change. "I did some analysis of the data I took from the communications room ... the pressure inside the unsubmerged part of the station was almost at critical anyway. Within a couple of months - maybe less - that breach would have ruptured."

"Then it's lucky Sheppard decided to get himself captured this month instead of later in the year," Woolsey said snidely. "I take it you can integrate the component into the Stargate as planned Doctor McKay?"

"Yes," Rodney said promptly without thinking. His face took on an uncomfortable expression as he rushed into further speech. "Ah ... well, yes eventually, but I'll need to ah – research a few things first and um ... replace some of the conduits that got broken when Major Lorne ri - _removed_ the device."

"Then I suggest you get your best people on it right away," Woolsey said. "Doctor Zelenka can assist."

Lorne was tired enough that he didn't pick up on the looks being exchanged by Sheppard's team as Rodney stuttered through his explanation of what was next. Evan couldn't help the yawn that took over, glancing at Woolsey apologetically when he'd recovered. "Sorry."

"Get some rest Major," Woolsey said lightly, turning his gaze to Rodney. "You too Doctor." The look on Rodney's face said there was little chance he'd be listening to that suggestion but Evan was actually glad to make what he'd always intended to do next official.

"Thank you," Lorne said, getting to his feet when Woolsey did.

"Keep me informed Doctor McKay," Woolsey said as he made his way from the room.

"Me too," Lorne said as he headed for the door on Woolsey's heels.

"Not so fast Major," Rodney's voice stopped him in his tracks.

"McKay?" he said with a clear warning in his voice for the other man to get on with it.

"I need you to talk to Atlantis," Rodney rushed out.

"Rodney!" Teyla exclaimed, her expression incredulous at her teammates apparent lack of discretion with John's secret. Ronon folded his arms over his chest and loomed in that way of his, but otherwise kept silent.

"Oh relax - he already knows," Rodney shot back. "Atlantis spoke to him in a dream too." Turning back to Evan, he repeated his first statement. "I need you to talk to Atlantis again – only awake this time."

"I can't talk to Atlantis Rodney," Lorne retorted impatiently.

"Well, someone has to and right now you're in the hot seat," Rodney insisted. "She promised us more instruction once we found the amplifier. How did you think that was going to happen?"

"You're the scientist McKay," Evan pointed out. "Wouldn't it be better if she instructed you directly?"

"Maybe," Rodney agreed. "But it was a struggle for me to get even as much as I did the first time ... this is too complex and I hate to admit it but I don't have that level of control."

"And you think I do?" Evan shot back.

"Yes," Rodney said simply. "Atlantis does too – otherwise she wouldn't have chosen you."

"Rodney is right Major Lorne," Teyla said encouragingly, accepting that Evan had been brought into the secret by necessity. "John will understand the need was there."

"Let's just get him home," Ronon looked at Evan intently.

Evan didn't really need their encouragement – he wanted to get Colonel Sheppard back just as much as they did. He just wasn't sure they weren't all over rating his gene expertise ... something he'd be finding out sooner rather than later from the looks of it.

"Can I at least take a nap first?" Lorne sighed, rubbing a tired hand over his face.

"Two hours," Rodney offered. "That's how long it'll take me to move all the amplifier parts and everything else I need down to the Chair room."

"I thought we were going to use the Stargate?" Lorne frowned in surprise.

"We are," Rodney agreed. "But it'll be easier to access and link everything in from the Chair ... trust me, you'll be able to do this."

"Fine," Evan muttered, shooting the other man a pointed look. "But if I end up with my brains leaking out my ears I'm blaming you."

"Ah ... of course," Rodney replied. "That's ... well, technically you should blame Sheppard since he's the reason we're doing this, not that I'm saying you will, you know, suffer any ill effects because you won't ... at all ...," he trailed off with a weak half smile.

"McKay," Lorne sighed before smiling ruefully. "I get it ... sit in the chair, help Atlantis find Sheppard, bring him home ... piece of cake."

Rodney actually grinned at that, appreciating the Major's casual manner under the circumstances. "So ... two hours?"

"Two hours," Lorne agreed before spinning on his heels and leaving Sheppard's team standing looking after him.

**Authors Note:**

Forgot to add when I posted the chapter an apology for not replying to last chapter reviews yet - I totally forgot to do it beforehand and now I'm having issues with fanfiction and can't see to reply to reviews. I WILL do so as soon as the site lets me but in the mean time THANK YOU to everyone reviewing - your comments really do make my day!


	9. It's time someone deleted you

**Authors Note:**

Forgot to add when I posted the last chapter an apology for not replying to chapter 7 reviews yet - I totally forgot to do it beforehand and now I'm having issues with fanfiction and can't seem to reply to reviews. I WILL do so as soon as the site lets me but in the mean time THANK YOU to everyone reviewing - your comments really do make my day!

**Chapter 9: It's time someone deleted you.**

"Sheppard's not gonna be happy," Ronon commented when the three members of team Sheppard were alone again.

"Maybe," Rodney agreed. "Lorne had all but worked it out for himself before Atlantis confirmed it for him ... and you know, with some of Sheppard's "odd" behaviour, that was always a possibility."

"I am sure that John will understand," Teyla offered. "He and Major Lorne are after all friends as well as leader and second in command. Perhaps it was foolish of John to believe that such a secret could be kept from the Major indefinitely."

"I don't think he'll mind about Lorne," Rodney said, his expression still troubled. "It's Woolsey that I'm worried about."

"You wish to tell Mr Woolsey John's secret?" Teyla asked in surprise.

"Of course not!" Rodney shot back. "But if you thought everything else John has done with Atlantis's help looked suspicious then this is gonna look ten times worse! How are we going to explain what we're doing with that amplifier? If this works how I think it works then Lorne is gonna be sitting in that chair acting as some kind of relay station for Atlantis ... it'll look like he's getting information 'magically' because the good stuff will all be taking place inside Evan's, and hopefully John's head. Atlantis will be using our gate connection to 'search' for John - don't ask me how because I still don't understand how she even exists for anyone to talk to." Rodney shook his head. "We're so screwed on this one and you know who John will blame if the truth comes out and he ends up being dissected at Area 51. That's right - me!"

"Lighten up McKay," Ronon said, as always amused at the other man's doom and gloom outlook.

"Lighten up?!" Rodney glared at his teammate. "That's the best you can offer? _Lighten up_? How the hell does that help?"

"Rodney," Teyla's tone was both a request and a command that he take a step back and relax.

"I'm sorry, but I've been up for ... God, too many hours to count," Rodney's tone went from agitated to whiney in a heartbeat. "I'm tired and I've still got hours of work ahead of me before there's even a hope I'll get to sleep so excuse me for being just a little bit concerned!"

"It'll be fine," Ronon slapped the other man on the shoulder before leaving the conference room.

"I hope so," Rodney muttered before following him, glancing at Teyla as he passed with a faint hint of apology in his eyes.

Teyla stood looking after the two men with a thoughtful expression before she too left the room.

oOo

"Ma'at wishes to speak with you," Vulture's voice intruded on John's sick contemplation of the scene in front of him. "For no other reason would I reveal her presence in this manner."

"I bet she does," Sheppard replied sarcastically. With a shrug, he capitulated. "Might was well - I can't see how things can get much worse."

"Ma'at bestows a great honour in speaking with you directly," Vulture said seriously, objecting to John's less than impressed tone.

"I've spoken to _Ma'at_ before," John put extra emphasis on the name, "and let me tell you, it's no honour. But hey, you wanna believe she's the equivalent of a God from ancient Egyptian times, then go for it." John stopped, looking directly at his captor, his eyes intent. "Answer me one thing though ... did she _say _she was Ma'at right there in the beginning, or did that happen after you'd plugged that device into your systems? Because I'm betting it was after ... after she'd worked out the best way to get what she wants. She's playing you and you don't even know it."

That said, Sheppard let himself be led from the room by another one of Vulture's underlings ... his mental head count now up to four. The corridor was narrow and it felt colder there than it had elsewhere. They walked the short distance to a closed door, again with nothing obvious for John to even work out where he was. The man opened the door and waved John inside.

Sheppard turned towards the corridor in time to see the door closing in front of him.

"Hello John Sheppard," the familiar voice echoed from all around the room, spurring him into spinning around.

And there she was ... the familiar figure of Aperio, beautiful but cold. Her skin was still translucent and perfect, her hair still lustrous, her eyes still vibrantly green. But where John had once thought her the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen, now he saw what she was stamped into every feature. Her skin was cold, lifeless, her hair a veil to hide her true intent. And her eyes ... her eyes were the windows on a selfish existence that only _wanted_. Wanted to control, to take, to deprive and to deceive. Just as she had in the past.

"Aperio," Sheppard greeted her casually, glancing around the room, trying to work out how it was possible he could see her. "Or should I be calling you Ma'at these days?"

"You would do well not to anger me," Aperio shot back, her tone cold and calculating. Sheppard took note of that detail too ... clearly what was being said in the room could only be heard by them - and Aperio seemed to be making no attempt to play things 'in character' just for John's benefit.

"And why is that?" John asked, smirking slightly. "You gonna turn off the lights, leave me in the dark? We're not inside the systems anymore and you really have no power over me."

"My followers are loyal," Aperio replied, "and they will kill you at my command."

"Well - that's dramatic," Sheppard laughed outright. "What do you want Aperio? I know my being here isn't a mistake and it sure as hell wasn't driven by Vulture or any of his crew. You've carefully manoeuvred everything to get me here. Why?"

"Because I need you John Sheppard," Aperio shifted, taking a couple of steps towards him and then stopping. "I need that which makes you different from everyone else on Atlantis ... and possibily anywhere."

"My ATA genes," John concluded, frowning. "You got something you want me to switch on because if so you're out of luck. There is _no_ way I'll co-operate ... no way I'm giving you access to anything. After the last time we met I'm pretty sure you already know that."

"I am sure that I ... _and_ my followers ... will be able to change your mind," Aperio said confidently.

John barely noticed it in the darkened room, that faint flicker. Suspicious now, he walked forward, not stopping until he was standing right in front of her. "Step back!" Aperio warned.

"I don't think so," John shot back, reaching out a hand to touch her face.

The shock had him jumping back with a yell. The pain was momentary and well worth the more obvious flicker of image he'd created.

Shaking his hand, the tingling still painful but not damaging, Sheppard smiled. "Now I get it," he said. "They've got some kind of hologram projection thing going here ... and a shield so no one else can work out that you're not really there. How'd you explain the need for all of that? Surely a _Goddess _can appear without technology assisting her."

"Millennia in space damaged the vessel designed to house and protect me," Aperio raised a brow regally. "My strength was depleted ... it took too much to maintain my connection to this plane of existence."

"Nice one," John laughed. "So I guess you didn't tell them that storage device was only in orbit for a year." He laughed again. "You really are a piece of work, aren't you? I should have had Lorne blast you out of the sky when I had the chance!" He stopped, turning back to look at Aperio once more. "So tell me, how does having me here help you? You're plugged into a system on some kind of outpost planet in the middle of nowhere ... even if I did switch something on for you how is that gonna help you with whatever little take over you've got planned?"

"That is where you are wrong John Sheppard," Aperio said with obvious delight. "Your journey here was more complicated and took far longer than you believe. We are not on a planet in the Pegasus galaxy. We are on _your _planet ... Earth ... a small distance from the Ancient outpost that was used to defend your pitiful race from a Goa'uld attack. I will have the outpost as mine ... and from there control of your entire planet."

"Antarctica?" John asked incredulously. "We're on Antarctica? How the hell is that even possible? I stepped through the Gate to M7G-677 ... I think I'd know if something went _that _wrong with the wormhole."

"A carefully constructed redirection protocol was hidden within the dialling programs on Atlantis by one of my followers," Aperio seemed more than keen to brag about her methods, answering John's question without hesitation. "When the opportunity to capture you stepping through the gate alone arose, my operative activated the protocol. Your wormhole was redirected to one of our facilities in the Pegasus Galaxy, your signal stored inside the buffer of a specially constructed portable dialling device. From there my follower gated to a planet at the edge of the galaxy, utilising the remnants of the intergalactic bridge your very own Doctor Mckay helped create to return to _this_ galaxy." Aperio's expression turned smug. "I was able to counter the effects of the dominant stargate and capture his incoming wormhole here, to my facility, where you were allowed to rematerialise as usual. To you mere moments passed when in fact it has been several days since you left Atlantis."

He'd been wrong - things _could_ get worse ... a _lot_ worse.

John had been counting on Rodney coming up with a clever plan to track him but clearly that wasn't going to happen. Rodney would be looking in the Pegasus Galaxy, not on Earth. There was no way for him to know he was looking in the wrong place.

"I am so screwed," John muttered under his breath, pacing away from Aperio and then returning to glare at her. "That's a lot of trouble to go to for one man, even one with a few Ancient genes. So what is it really? Revenge for what I did to you? A dig at Atlantis because she got to stay but you were banished? What?"

"I simply wish to fulfil my purpose," Aperio replied. "I was designed to control and adapt ... and with the help of my followers I will be able to guide your people towards the true path. I will have freedom and the recognition I deserve."

"Great," Sheppard shook his head. "A computer system with delusions of grandeur." He stepped closer again, feeling this time the faint tingling of the shield protecting her before he touched it. "You're nothing more than a malfunctioning program and it's time someone deleted you."

"Arg!" Aperio shouted in anger, throwing out her arms so that they touched the edge of her shield. Twin sparks of lightening shot out from her point of contact, striking John in the chest and throwing him across the room and back into unconsciousness.

oOo

Lorne returned to his quarters from the debrief and fell onto his bed fully clothed, not even taking the time to remove his boots. Between one breath and the next he was asleep.

"_You will do well Evan Lorne_," _opening his eyes, the Major saw what he now knew was Atlantis smiling down at him. Sitting up, he looked around curiously and found himself on a balcony floor ... and not just any balcony, the one he always thought of as his, the one he painted scenes of the city from. He knew he was dreaming again but it felt very real, the hardness of the floor under him, the breeze travelling across his face, the warmth of the sun shining down on him._

_"Listen," he said as he stood up and turned to face Atlantis. "I know you mean well and I'm not trying to question you or anything but I'm not sure I can do what it seems you think I can do_."

_"You are stronger than you know," Atlantis replied with an almost amused smile. "You stand in the shadows because that is your way." She took a step forward, resting a hand lightly on his arm. "You do not reveal the talents you possess but that does not mean they are not there. I have not chosen to communicate with you because it would be difficult for both of us, much more so than with John. There was no need to put you through that just as there was no need to do so with others strong in the Ancient gene. But I have seen you Evan." The air rippled suddenly and where the balcony had been empty now an easel stood, one of his completed pictures of the city resting there._

_"You love the city," Atlantis stated with conviction._

_"Ah ... sure," Lorne said, uncomfortable with having the spot light put on him. "Who wouldn't? It's beautiful." He almost blushed when he realised that in effect he was telling her that _she _was beautiful. He also found himself wondering what else he was revealing by allowing her to tap into his mind while he slept ... not that he saw any way to prevent that._

_"Your appreciation of what your ancestors created, your genuine regard for the city makes you open to what I require of you now," Atlantis smiled fondly. It amused her to see him embarrassed and awkward ... and suddenly he reminded her of John. Talking with the others through dreams _was_ something ... it gave her access to things beyond what was recorded in her systems ... access to some of the lives lived within her walls. But it was not the same as what she shared with John, not something she would have even sought to use were it not for his absence._

"_You miss the Colonel," Evan suddenly realised that the connection had an aspect of a two way street about it. She'd been thinking of John and he'd picked up on that._

"_Yes," Atlantis said simply. "My perceptions are ... narrower without his presence." She smiled suddenly. "And you show that you are capable of what I will ask of you by sensing what I did not actively share with you."_

"_Okay," Evan crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against the balcony railing. "So tell me, what exactly is it that you want me to do?"_

"_Nothing more than to be what you are," Atlantis reassured him. "Your desire to help others, your need to make a difference ... they will guide you."_

"_I was kind of hoping for a little more detail than that," Lorne admitted._

"_When the time is right I will show you," Atlantis replied. "You will be the link that holds all aspects of the plan together ... but first you will need to assist me in helping Doctor McKay prepare the amplifier to suit my needs."_

"_The link?" Evan wasn't sure he liked the sound of that but at the end of the day he'd do everything required to get his commanding officer back. It really was as simple as that for him._

"_You will do well," Atlantis repeated her first statement again. "For now, rest." She stepped forward, placed her hands on his shoulders and drew him down so that his forehead rested on hers. He felt the peace wash over him even as he settled back into sleep._

**Authors Note: **

On how they got John from Pegasus to the Milky way, think Teal'c in 48 Hours ... he was stored in the SGC buffer and to him it seemed little time had passed by the time they got him out again. Here, I've added in a portable DHD so that they could move a stored John to another gate that could be used to get them to the Milky Way - using the gate network already set up in space in both galaxies because I don't think they went out and collected them all when the Midway station was destroyed. I know - bordering on very, very, very implausible even by Stargate standards but it was the best I could come up with for what I needed in this story.


	10. I’m not going anywhere

**Chapter 10: I'm not going anywhere**

"Wake up."

Lorne frowned in his sleep, only just registering the voice.

"_Major!_" This time the voice was accompanied by someone shaking him vigorously.

"What?" Lorne opened his eyes a crack, saw Rodney McKay standing beside his bed, and groaned as he closed his eyes again. "It's been two hours already?" he mumbled in disbelief.

"Three actually," Rodney replied. "I've done all I can do without help ... time for you to work out how to talk to Atlantis."

"I don't need to," Evan announced, sitting up and running hands through his hair. He still felt beyond tired but the vividly recalled dream where helping him get focussed and alert. "Already dreamed it ... Atlantis will show me what information you need from the Ancient database," Lorne said, not sure how he knew that that's what would happen since Atlantis hadn't specifically said it, just that he did. "Give me ten minutes and I'll meet you in your lab."

Rodney nodded, for once refraining from asking the questions that always hovered in his mind. Leaving the Major to his business, Rodney headed for his lab. He'd have to call Radek into things eventually but first he had to get whatever direction he could from Atlantis, via the Major. This was going to be interesting.

oOo

Ten minutes later, freshly shaved and showered, Lorne walked into Rodney's lab, nodding quickly before getting straight down to business. "Okay," he announced. "I have no idea how this is going to work exactly, so I'll just ...," he trailed off, motioning to the Ancient console where he'd be able to access the database directly.

"Did Atlantis give you any specific instructions at all?" Rodney asked curiously.

"Not really ... you've had one of these dreams Rodney," Lorne pointed out. "She's not exactly a details kind of gal is she?"

"Maybe that's the best Atlantis can do," Rodney suggested. "When ah ... when John first started, you know, talking to the city, it was in dreams – it wasn't exactly clear for him either. It ah ... it took time and a lot of that was him opening himself to the communication. It could work the same for you ..."

"Maybe," Evan agreed distractedly, his attention already on the Ancient console. "Now ...," he trailed off, eyes losing focus as he put his hands on the console.

In his mind he saw the information flashing by ... on the view screen it was the same but where Evan saw additional colours attached to sections of the database, on the screen they looked no different than usual.

"This one," he said after a few minutes, pausing on one file whose colours seemed to call to him. They glowed warmly in his head, literally attracting his attention ... like a masterpiece hidden amongst hundreds of kindergarten paintings.

"Huh?" Rodney squinted at the view screen in confusion.

"I don't know what it's supposed to mean," Lorne said impatiently. "Just that you'll need something in that one to connect the amplifier properly." When Rodney nodded without doing anything, Evan sighed. "Are you gonna flag it in some way? Because I really need to move this on." The pressure in his head was steadily increasing the longer he held on to his current location in the system. It seemed Atlantis was in a hurry to get this part of the rescue mission completed.

"Oh – of course," Rodney tapped a few keys on his laptop and then motioned for Lorne to continue.

Relaxing his hold, Evan went back to watching the files streaming by. It was difficult for him and the longer it went on the more taxing it became. His brain wasn't used to having that much information scrolling through it ... it was like watching a scene streaming past a window as you drove along at high speed and trying to register every minute detail as well. He was pale and drawn before finally, over an hour later, he arrived at the conclusion that he'd given Rodney everything he needed.

"That's it," he announced in a low tone, taking his hands from the Ancient console and stepping back. The wave of tiredness hit him hard and he was sitting on the floor before he realised he wasn't steady enough to remain standing. Dropping his head to his raised knees with a groan, Evan swallowed hard. His stomach churned in an unpleasant way and his head was pounding like a son of a bitch.

"Lorne!" Rodney dropped down beside him, frowning as he tried to get a better look at the other man. "Are you okay?"

"Not really," Evan carefully raised his head to look at Rodney. "How does Colonel Sheppard put up with that all the time?"

"He said it gets easier," Rodney dismissed, frowning as he noticed the Major's pallor and blood shot eyes. "You look like hell."

"Thanks for pointing out the obvious McKay," Evan shot back. He couldn't sit on Rodney's lab floor all day, so with another audible groan he carefully got to his feet, wincing as pain shot through his head at the movement. "Got any Tylenol around here?" he asked. "Or better yet a hammer so I can knock myself out until it passes."

"That bad huh?" Rodney hesitated before making a suggestion. "Maybe you should go see Doctor Keller."

"And tell her what?" Lorne retorted. "Please switch off my brain for a few hours because being Atlantis's tool really gives you a bitch of a headache? That's hardly gonna protect Colonel Sheppard's secret."

"You're not a tool," Rodney looked uncomfortable with the suggestion. "None of us are ... we're just helping Atlantis so that she can help us find John."

"I know that Rodney," Lorne sighed, leaning unsteadily against the bench as he clenched a hand over his forehead in the hopes that would relieve the pressure a little.

"Here," Evan looked up a few moments later to see Rodney standing next to him, holding out a foil package. "Excedrin – extra strength," he added when Lorne looked at the tablets uncertainly.

"Thanks," Lorne popped out the tablets and swallowed them dry. "So – is the stuff Atlantis had me show you useful?"

"I'll have to look at each of the files more fully but I think so, yes," Rodney replied.

"So you don't need me for a while?" Evan asked hopefully.

"No," Rodney actually smiled. "Go get some real sleep Major."

"You should think about taking your own advice McKay," Lorne advised. "A couple of hours isn't going to make that much of a difference."

"After I've read all the files and I know what it means," Rodney explained. "After I can get Radek and his people working on implementation. This is nothing – you should have seen me during college. Stayed up for days without sleeping at all and still managed to pass all my midterms."

"Well all right," Evan pushed away from the counter, swayed for a moment and then steadied himself. "Wake me up when you're ready for the next phase."

"Will do," Rodney promised, attention already drawn to his laptop and those waiting files. Lorne was at the door before he called out. "Evan ... thank you."

"No problem," Lorne replied before walking out of the lab, his posture too careful for Rodney not to work out that every step was causing pain.

"It'll be worth it Major," Rodney promised under his breath, drawing his laptop closer and settling down to work.

oOo

John came to gradually ... awareness of the surface he was lying on - firm but not hard enough to be the floor - coming first, followed quickly by the return of memory about the events immediately preceding his being knocked out. It seemed that even Aperio as a hologram could still pack a punch.

"Ow," he muttered, opening his eyes to another new location. This one looked like a standard holding cell ... small, barely big enough for the narrow bed he was laying on, with a locked door that included a small window with bars over it just in case someone thought to use that in some kind of escape plan.

Getting up, Sheppard crossed to the door, swaying dizzily before regaining his equilibrium. He peered out the window, stepping back hastily when he was confronted with a pair of eyes peering in.

"Ah, Colonel Sheppard, you're awake," Vulture greeted him as he unlocked the door and stepped inside. "I am pleased to see that your foolishness in challenging Ma'at did not carry more severe consequences."

"Yeah - seems your 'goddess' didn't take too kindly to being reminded of her true origins," John returned grimly.

"Perhaps ... or perhaps she wished to show you that her words are not empty," Vulture suggested. "That she has power to assist in leading us to the true path."

"I don't get it," John said simply.

"Ma'at only wishes to show us the way to order and balance," Vulture began to explain.

"No," John interrupted. "Believe me when I say I fully get what she wants." He looked at Vulture closely. "I just don't get what _you_ ... what your order wants. Why throw in your lot with Ma'at? Why come all the way out here?"

"We broke away from the Trust when it became clear that their methods were ... unsavoury," Vulture explained. "Ties between the Goa'uld and those in charge began to concern us as well ... we took the tenants of our order from Ancient Egypt because those tenants best represent what we each believe to be the future for the human race. Ma'at represents the fundamental order of the universe ... without her all creation would perish. All will be judged by Ma'at and if found lacking, will be sent to Ammit – to the nether regions, for all eternity."

John's eyebrow rose at that ... in the context of Aperio taking on Ma'at's persona that sounded more than a little worrying.

"You must understand Colonel Sheppard ... our cause is pure," Vulture continued. "We genuinely want to help this world achieve the potential that is its true right. With Ma'at and Re-Horakhty guiding and protecting us while we find our way to the true path, that potential may just come to fruition."

"That only makes this all the sadder," John said with a frown. "Maybe your motivations _aren't_ that screwy but the way you're going about achieving them is just wrong. Even if Ma'at were everything she claims to be, taking the easy road, having her fix all our problems for us, isn't the way. Travelling the road - making the mistakes and learning from them - is just as important at the eventual solution."

"You speak of your relationship with Atlantis," Vulture commented with interest.

"We knew as soon as we realised what we had that getting all the answers given to us would be so easy," John tried to explain without confirming the specifics of how his connection with the city actually worked. It was probably empty to do so since Vulture had clearly been fully briefed by Aperio who was in the unique position of having seen John's relationship with Atlantis up close and live. "But doing it that way would have set our path in concrete - leading us only to repeat the road the Ancients took. If we'd done that we wouldn't be here right now ... it's all the things we thought of that the Ancients _didn't_ that has made a dent in our dealings with the Wraith. It'll take us longer but whatever we do, mistakes or triumphs, are ours and ours alone."

"I understand Colonel," Vulture acknowledged. "In the wrong hands such power could easily be misused."

"It could," John agreed, intent on doing everything he could to sway Vulture enough that he'd consider the possibility that John was telling the truth about Aperio. If he could get that then maybe he could convince Vulture to let him go. "But it's more than that ... and you know, if Ma'at really were the goddess you think she is, surely she wouldn't want you to take the easy road."

Sheppard hesitated for a moment and then decided to go with his gut and take a risk. Everything that Vulture had told him, everything about the way he'd treated John, spoke of someone who genuinely wanted to help people. His methods were misguided but Vulture's purpose seemed harmless on the whole scale of things ... it could even be considered as pure as the other man believed. Aperio had taken that ... taken something that if handled differently could provide drive for offering people different choices ... and turned it into something negative.

"Atlantis never gives us anything easily," John offered in a quiet voice. "Despite Doctor McKay thinking up sixty things a week that he just has to get the answer to right there and then. When the city itself is under threat the information exchange is a little freer, but since the first time we made use of the connection she's come to understand the value in making us do all this ourselves. Don't you think Ma'at should see things in a similar light?"

"I appreciate what you're saying but Ma'at's role is not the same as your Atlantis," Vulture's expression was thoughtful as he considered John's words. "Ma'at comes from an era where our relationship with our Gods was key to how we lived our lives. We strive to model ourselves on that approach."

"Isn't religion about belief without proof, without direct intervention?" Sheppard shot back insistently. "Aperio has done everything possible to convince you of her identity as Ma'at. Why? Doesn't that make you wonder, even just a little bit?"

"Our order is about absolute belief in our Goddesses wisdom to know what we need to follow the path," Vulture replied. "Ma'at is wise ... she does that which is required to shift us from a way that will only spell our destruction."

As Sheppard listened, as he watched the shifting expression's on Vulture's face, he realised that even on a small scale, he _was_ getting through to the other man.

"Ask her," John urged. "Ask her why she chose to reveal herself now instead of last year or ten years ago or whenever it was she first saw us straying off the true path? Ask her why she let it get so far if it's within her power to alter it?"

"Questioning her is ...,"Vulture trailed off with a sigh. "I do not know how Ma'at would answer these questions. But I fear she will be angry at any suggestion that her followers, that I as her beloved, have doubts. She will take any such questions in that light even if they are not meant to express disbelief."

"But she needs me – I wouldn't be here if that wasn't the case. You can't do anything without my cooperation," John pointed out, refraining from adding that Ma'at sounded damn sensitive and temperamental ... for a Goddess. "Why would I give it to you?"

"You will consider cooperating if I ask Ma'at these questions?" Vulture asked in surprise, taking the lure John had thrown out.

"If you ask her and you come back here completely satisfied with her answers, with no doubts that she's who she says she is, then yes, I'll look at whatever it is she wants me to turn on," John offered. "But no guarantees I'll do more than that because in all likelihood I won't."

"I believe when you see the full extent of her plans, you _will_ wish to cooperate," Vulture replied. Nodding, he moved towards the door. "I will ask these questions ... and return shortly."

"I'm not going anywhere," John pointed out, waving a hand around his cell.

"I'll send someone with refreshments," Vulture's playing host just reiterated to John that he wasn't the standard bad guy psycho out to further his own agenda. Sheppard refrained from giving a smart ass order for service, remaining silent as he watched his captor leave.

Mindless and collective belief in the kinds of ideals Vulture had sprouted wasn't John's thing but at the same time he _did_ understand the allure. At the heart of it, what they wanted was good ... and it was the kind of stuff that gave some people hope.

Too bad Aperio had come along and corrupted that.

oOo

Again it was the sounds of someone calling his name that woke Lorne. This time it was through the radio earpiece he was still wearing. For the second time in a day he'd fallen into bed fully clothed and had no recollection of even going to sleep.

"Major Lorne?" Rodney's voice came through the earpiece again.

"I'm here," Evan returned, sitting up and glancing at the clock. It had been around 1400 hours when he'd finished in McKay's lab ... now the clock read 1800 hours – he'd only been asleep for four hours? His head felt a lot better although a low grade headache was still present in the background. In comparison though it was minor enough to ignore easily.

"Can you come down to the chair room?" Rodney requested. "We're ready to do a test run of the amplifier."

"Already?" Lorne asked in surprise.

"You've been asleep for over a day," Rodney explained. "Doctor Keller checked on you – said just to let you wake up on your own. I ah, I gave her a spiel about you not having slept the entire trip to and from Lantia ... and I told her you had a headache as well. I had to say something," he added, maybe thinking Lorne was going to protest how free he'd been with his personal details. "I wasn't sure you were okay and ah ... I couldn't get anything from Atlantis even though I tried to, you know, make contact."

"It's okay McKay," Evan replied. "Next time though, wake me up before I lose a whole day. So, you've got the amplifier connected?"

"Yes - we ... well, mostly Radek's team worked through the night to get it done," Rodney returned. "We just need to make sure it works before we start searching for John."

"I'll be there as soon as I can," Lorne promised, signing off and jumping up from his bed.

Twenty eight hours of sleep? That was just ... wrong ... and not his usual practice. Shrugging, Evan grabbed what he needed to get cleaned up and headed for his bathroom. Time to get back to duty and back to the business of finding his commanding officer.


	11. So, no pressure then

**Chapter 11: So, no pressure then.**

"How are we going to test this?" Lorne asked. He'd made it to the chair room inside of fifteen minutes to find it deserted except for Rodney McKay ... which made sense. If Evan was really going to be talking to Atlantis via the chair they could hardly have anyone else there to witness it.

"I ah ... haven't quite worked that out yet," Rodney admitted.

"How's this supposed to work again?" Lorne persisted, his mind working on the possibilities.

"As far as I can tell, through the open wormhole Atlantis will either be able to detect Sheppard or she'll 'call' for him – I don't know which. If he's within range ... and assuming he hears her he'll reply with whatever intel he can give us. If she's detecting him then ... well, either way Atlantis will then relay the information back to you so we can go get him." Rodney shrugged. "That's the theory anyway. I have no idea what sort of range we're talking about nor how we're gonna explain to Woolsey what we're doing or why we want to go to a specific planet."

"We'll work something out when we get to that," Lorne dismissed. "So to test it we really need a strong enough gene holder at the other end of a wormhole for Atlantis to detect, right?"

"Pretty much," Rodney agreed. "Hence my dilemma because as far as I know you're the only gene we have around here who's strong enough and we need you in the chair."

"How about General O'Neill?" Lorne suggested. "Dial Earth ... if Washington is too far away have him go to the SGC. If this is gonna work Atlantis will detect him and we'll know we're good to begin searching planets here."

"That's ...," Rodney broke off with a strange expression on his face ... surprise that Evan had suggested something that was actually pretty clever along with annoyance at himself for not having thought of it first. "That might just work. We explain it to Woolsey and General Landry by saying the amplifier and associated systems are able to send out a kind of ATA gene radar signal and, based on how it's returned, give us an indicator of Sheppard's location."

Lorne looked at Rodney sceptically but said nothing.

"I know," Rodney muttered. "That sounded flimsy even to me but unless you've got a better idea we're stuck with it."

"It'll be fine," Lorne replied. "Let's go speak to Mr Woolsey."

"Before we do that we should check to see if you can operate the chair," Rodney countered.

"And if I can't?" Lorne asked.

"You _can_," Rodney insisted. "I'm sure of it ... I don't think Atlantis would have set it up this way if you couldn't ... this whole plan depends on it."

"So, no pressure then," Evan said snidely. "Probably shouldn't have said 'if' then McKay – because that sounds like you're not sure."

"I'm sure," Rodney got that stubborn look on his face that usually announced he wasn't budging on his position bar anything other than impending death. "Just ... sit down ... see for yourself."

"Fine," Lorne muttered, eyeing the chair with a small amount of distaste. As far as he knew only Colonel Sheppard and Carson Beckett had sat in this particular chair and made it work. He wouldn't admit it to Rodney, but Evan was feeling a little apprehensive about being able to add himself to that exclusive group. Still, he wasn't going to find out unless he actually sat in the chair so ... stepping up the dais he turned, paused for a moment, and then sat down lightly.

Nothing happened.

"McKay," Evan glared at Rodney accusingly. "I thought you said –"

"Wait!" Rodney interrupted. "Just ... ah ... just think about flying a Puddle Jumper ... what you do when you connect to that system. This should be no different."

Lorne bit back on scoffing in disbelief but Rodney rolled his eyes anyway. "Just do it Major," he said impatiently.

Evan settled back into the chair and put his hands on the gel pads at the end of each arm. "Puddle Jumper," he muttered. "Right." Closing his eyes, he frowned for a moment as he tried to think what it was he actually did every time he flew a Jumper. It was so instinctive he wasn't sure he could explain it if Rodney had asked. "_Imagine this is the pilot chair in a Jumper_," he told himself. "_I put my hands on the controls and then ...,_"

"That's it!" Rodney's words accompanied the rush of information Lorne was getting from the now active chair. "Ah ... think about the solar system," he used his standard question to assess how much control the Major had.

Lorne didn't even couch a specific question ... the mental response to Rodney just putting the suggestion in his head was enough. Opening his eyes Evan looked up at the ceiling and the kaleidoscope of stars and planets swirling there in amazement. "Well, I'll be a ...," he trailed off. Looking at Rodney he shrugged. "I guess that works."

"I knew it would," Rodney was smug and Evan laughed.

"Sure you did McKay," he said, powering down the chair and getting up. "Woolsey," he announced, heading for the door.

oOo

"Let me get this straight," Richard Woolsey said as soon as Rodney had finished explaining what they wanted to do. "You want to dial Earth and see if this amplified 'gene user' radar system will pick up General O'Neill?"

"Yes Sir," Major Lorne answered for both of them.

"And if it doesn't?" Richard asked.

"Then it might mean the General is out of range or it might mean the system doesn't work," Rodney replied. "We'd have to get General O'Neill to the SGC and try again to confirm which."

"Aren't we due for a weekly dial in anyway?" Lorne asked.

"Two days from now actually Major," Woolsey replied, no one in the room surprised he'd have that detail readily accessible in his mind.

"So we report in early," Evan suggested lightly. "That way we haven't wasted ZPM resources if this doesn't work. We need to report Colonel Sheppard's disappearance anyway."

"Very well," Richard said after a moment's pause. "I assume you're ready to proceed right now?"

"Yes," Rodney said simply, for once understanding the adage that less really was more. Anything else he said would be unnecessary and could potentially result in creating suspicion about what they were really doing.

"Half an hour then," Woolsey decided. "I'll need to complete my reports since I wasn't expecting to send them today," he explained the delay before anyone could ask.

"Half an hour," Rodney agreed. "We can run a few more tests to make sure Major Lorne has full control of the chair."

"_You_ can do that," Lorne countered. "I'm going to get dinner." Nodding to Woolsey, Evan strode from the office, sure that Rodney would only be a few paces behind him.

oOo

"Doctor McKay, we're about to dial Earth," Richard Woolsey's voice echoed in the chair room via the city's intercom system.

"Acknowledged," Rodney nodded to Lorne to power up the chair. "We're ready to go here."

"Connection established," Chuck reported.

They listened in as Richard Woolsey requested General Landry contact General O'Neill in Washington and informed him that Doctor McKay had a request of him. Luckily the time difference put them into early afternoon DC time.

"What's this about McKay," O'Neill's voice, relayed direct from the Pentagon sounded as impatient as it usually did when he was talking to Rodney.

"It's about finding Colonel Sheppard," Rodney bit back. "We need a strong ATA gene holder to test a piece of equipment we got from old Lantea. Last time I heard you're at the top of that list."

"What do you need me to do?" O'Neill's tone was more reasonable as he absorbed what Rodney was saying. He'd been informed of Sheppard's disappearance when Landry had made the call and understood McKay's drive to get his team mate back.

"Ah ... just pay attention I guess," Rodney said uncertainly. "Major Lorne is going to operate the chair here ... if the amplifier works as advertised he should get a report back that says you were detected on the other side of the wormhole."

"And if it doesn't work?" Jack asked pointedly.

"How do you feel about a quick trip to Cheyenne Mountain?" Rodney asked uncomfortably.

"The Apollo is in orbit," the General revealed. "It's doable."

"It is?" Rodney humphfed in surprise. "Ah ... okay, so let's try this from where you are for now ... see how it goes."

"I'm ... listening," O'Neill's tone was a little sarcastic.

"Okay Major," Rodney turned to Evan purposefully. "Activate the amplifier."

"Wait a minute," Lorne motioned for Rodney to cut the intercom for a moment. "How will we know if it's on?"

"I was assuming Atlantis would tell you," Rodney admitted.

"Right," Lorne closed his eyes to block out distractions. Thinking '_on_' at the amplifier system Rodney and Radek had created, Evan paused for a moment. "_Ah ... you should be able to use the amplifier now_," he thought a little hesitantly. He didn't really expect to get an answer and almost jumped when Atlantis replied.

"_We are ready Evan_."

The chorus that was Atlantis sounded different now that Lorne was hearing it outside of dreams. In fact the sound reverberated through his head in a way he could see was going to get uncomfortable pretty quickly.

"Good to go, McKay," he reported.

"Okay ... um, see if you can detect the General then," through the again open intercom Rodney couldn't make his instructions any clearer than that.

"_We have General O'Neill back on Earth_," Evan explained how they'd set up the test, not sure what Atlantis would have been able to pick up from their previous activities within the system. "_He's right up there on the ATA gene scale so if you're gonna pick up anyone other than Colonel Sheppard on the other side of a wormhole it'll be him._"

"_We will try_," Atlantis replied.

Lorne felt the increased pressure from the chair immediately as Atlantis accessed the amplifier system he was actively controlling.

"Anything General?" Rodney asked over the intercom hopefully.

"Since I have no idea what I'm supposed to be getting, it's a little hard to tell," O'Neill pointed out.

"Try harder Major," Rodney told Lorne.

"_You need to give it more_," Evan dutifully passed on Rodney's real request to Atlantis.

"_This will place additional strain on you Evan_," the tones of the chorus transmitted concern. "_We require your active connection to the system to allow us the freedom to fully utilise the Gate components._"

"_It's okay_," Lorne thought back confidently. "_I can handle it ... just do it quickly_."

"_Very well_," Atlantis intoned.

oOo

John was left alone in his cell for hours after Vulture went to ask Ma'at his questions. He wasn't sure whether he really had made an impact on the other man ... it all came down to Aperio and what John knew of her. He was counting on her being unable to maintain the Ma'at facade once her most beloved started to question her. With any luck something she said would be a red flag to Vulture and John would be one step closer to getting himself out of there.

He was lying on the hard and narrow bed, staring at the ceiling when he felt it.

A familiar, tingling sensation on the edge of his mind. It was faint ... barely there at all. If he'd been doing anything active he might not have even noticed.

Atlantis!

"_I'm here!_" he yelled it out in his mind, striving to push the thought out as powerfully as he could, wishing that he'd had the foresight to practice doing something like that for just such an occasion.

The tingling was still there so he tried again. "_Atlantis! It's John. I'm here ... on Earth ... in Antarctica."_

The rattling of the door knob signalled the return of Vulture. John sat up abruptly, his attention taken away from the tenuous presence of Atlantis for a moment. He tried to hold on, to get it back, but the tingling whisper of sensation across his mind was gone.

"Damn it," he muttered, getting to his feet just as the door opened.

He didn't know how it was possible but maybe a rescue wasn't as farfetched as he'd been thinking.

oOo

Lorne flinched as Atlantis increased the push to reach out through the Stargate. His head was already hammering and this was just a test run.

"_We sense the General_," Atlantis finally reported, easing off on the power as soon as she'd judged their test successful.

"Rodney ... General O'Neill has been detected," Evan reported aloud.

"_Whoa_," the General's voice issued from the intercom at the same moment. "That's just ... disturbing," he said.

"What is?" Rodney demanded.

"For a second there I got that tingling 'Ancient tech' feeling," Jack revealed. "I guess that means it worked, huh?"

"It worked Sir," Lorne replied. "The systems detected you."

"So we can search for Sheppard now?" the General asked.

"Yes Sir," Lorne agreed.

"Mission accomplished then," O'Neill replied. "So ... if you don't need me anymore, plenty of important decisions just waiting to be made."

Lorne grinned at the older man's irreverent tone. "Thank you for your assistance Sir," he said.

"Yes General," Woolsey's voice added. "We'll report in next week as scheduled. Chuck ... close the connection."

Sharp pain slammed through Lorne's head as Atlantis abruptly renewed her access to the amplifier.

"Wait!" Lorne cried out, his words echoed by Atlantis shouting the same in his head.

"Major?" Woolsey's tone was puzzled.

"Don't close the wormhole," Lorne insisted. "Just ... give me a second here."

Turning his attention inwards, he continued. "_What is it?_" he asked.

"_It is John_," the chorus rejoiced. "_He is on your planet ... we felt his presence on the very edges of our perception._"

"_Can you talk to him?_" Lorne asked hopefully, the part of his mind not taken over by the chair not enough for him to even question the how.

"_No ... he is ... gone_," Atlantis said. "_If we can continue to access the gate connection, and with your cooperation Evan, we can renew the link to John and determine his exact location._"

"_Okay_," Lorne said simply. Speaking aloud again he reported to the Control Room.

"I don't know how it's possible Sir," he directed his comments to Woolsey and those still listening back at the SGC. "But Colonel Sheppard is on Earth ... right now."


	12. You’ll regret that Colonel

**Chapter 12: You'll regret that Colonel**

Expecting Vulture, Sheppard was surprised when instead another man walked into the room. Where Vulture hadn't looked the part of a kidnapper this man certainly did, even dressed in a black suit similar to his boss. The sneer on his face and his general air of arrogance gave John an idea as to his identity.

"Snake I presume," he said lightly. "Where's Vulture?"

"Let's just say his talk with Ma'at didn't go exactly as planned," Snake retorted, clearly amused. "His faith has been ... shaken. _Fool_."

"So ... not a believer then?" John asked blandly.

"The 'true path'?" Snake laughed harshly. "Come now Colonel. You and I both know there is no such thing. My employers however _do_ believe in the potential of the Aperio program."

"I thought you said you didn't know what that device did," John reminded the other man of what he'd said back at the Stargate what seemed like days ago now.

"I lied," Snake laughed again, amused this time. "My employers knew precisely what Aperio was. It's potential. The secrets it can unlock. Particularly those of the Ancient outpost only a few miles from our current location. That is why I'm here. With Aperio working for them, Vulture's order held potential to gain power," Snake didn't seem to mind explaining. "Power that would see the balance shift amongst those organisations opposed to military dominance over the Stargate and Atlantis. I was sent to infiltrate." He smirked cruely. "Vulture is so trusting ... so willing to believe that others will want to lead their lives as he does. It was too easy for me to become one of his order, to rise up the ranks until I was in a position to keep an eye on things and report back to my leaders."

"Let me guess," Sheppard intoned blandly, nothing of his thoughts visible in his expression although his interest had sharpened abruptly at the other man's words. "You want to control the weapons platform and you think Aperio can help you with that." He laughed suddenly. "You're just as big a fool as Vulture if you believe Aperio will serve any agenda but her own."

"There is more to be controlled in Antarctica than a weapon's platform low on ammunition," Snake smirked.

"Such as?" John's eyes narrowed as he considered what Snake was implying.

"You'll find out ... when you help us by using that neat little gene you were born with," Snake didn't let himself be drawn into revealing more.

"You should know that I have no intention of helping you with anything," John shot back. "Vulture seems halfway to being decent and I wouldn't help him ... there's no way I'd help a piece of shit like you. Go back to your bosses and tell them to send someone a hell of a lot more intimidating that you," he challenged.

"You'll regret that Colonel," insulted, Snake rushed forward, slamming Sheppard against the wall forcefully.

Even though the breath rushed from his lungs, John had been ready for that. He'd counted on Snake underestimating him because up until that point he'd done nothing threatening against his captors. He'd banked on them unconsciously believing he'd failed to attempt an escape because he wasn't capable. And it had worked. Snake had gotten close – _too_ close – creating just the opportunity John had been hoping for.

Grabbing the other man by the throat Sheppard spun and returned the favour, slamming Snake up against the wall, holding him there, his expression grim and purposeful.

"I don't think so," Sheppard retorted, his forearm pressing into Snake's throat such that he could barely breathe. Searching the other man he grinned when his fingers brushed cold metal. Pulling out the gun – an M60 that could have been John's own weapon – and stepping back abruptly he pointed it to Snake's chest. Watching silently as Snake slumped against the wall, breathing hard, John waited until the other man looked up. "Now, you're going to help me get out of here."

"Why ... would I help you?" Snake got out, his voice hoarse and uneven. Straightening, he rubbed a hand to his throat, grimacing in pain.

"Because if you don't I'll shoot you," Sheppard replied almost conversationally.

"And bring the rest of my men down on you?" Snake attempted a confident smile that John just wasn't buying.

"Nice try," he laughed. "I'm gonna go with my gut on this one though ... this place feels deserted to me. It's just you, Ninja guy and one other, right?"

"Believe what you will Colonel," Snake shot back. "I won't help you."

"Fine," without warning Sheppard pulled the trigger, the bullet finding its mark with precision.

Snake fell to the floor with a strangled yell of pain, clutching his shoulder, hand already red with his own blood. Not waiting, John strode forward and clocked him over the head with the butt of the gun, abruptly silencing him.

Pausing for a moment Sheppard closed his eyes and tried to find that tingle of Atlantis inside his mind again but it was no use ... there was nothing there even though he was _sure_ he had sensed the city. So it was back to it being up to him for the time being.

"Okay then, let's see what we've got," John muttered, moving quickly to the door. Opening it cautiously he peered out. Seeing nothing he shifted into the corridor, keeping close to the wall. At every turn he expected to run into opposition but none eventuated.

That was all well and good but he didn't know where he was going and it wasn't like he could just walk outside and make his way to the outpost. He knew Antarctica – had served there for months before that fateful flight with General O'Neill four years before. Depending on the conditions outside even a few minutes of exposure to the elements could be fatal without the right clothing. Sheppard couldn't see any other option but to head for the Ancient outpost, trusting that Snake had spoken true when he'd said it was only a few miles away. But before he could do that he needed the appropriate attire and a whole lot of luck.

There were closed doors every few paces ... trying the first and finding it opened, John looked inside. A room much like the one he'd woken up in ... a bed, stripped bare and nothing else. Closing the door he moved on to the next one, repeating the process twice more before he found a larger room containing a row of storage lockers.

Entering the room he closed the door behind him before silently moving to the first locker. The good news was that it wasn't locked. The bad news was that it contained only a few boxes of office supplies – nothing useful. The same proved true for the other lockers.

"Damn it," John slammed a palm against the last locker, frustrated. He'd been hoping he wouldn't have to confront anyone else but it wasn't looking promsing.

Exiting the room he turned to head back the way he'd come, intent on searching the other side of the building. Turning the first corner he halted abruptly.

"Colonel Sheppard," Vulture stood in the corridor as though he'd been waiting for him.

Raising the gun, John moved forward. "Where do you keep the cold weather gear?" he demanded, straight to the point.

"It will do you no good," Vulture said sadly. "There is nowhere you can go ... nowhere any of us can go." Turning away, Vulture looked down the corridor and back to John, his expression uncertain. "You were right Colonel," he admitted. "I have given my service to a false Goddess ... done things in her name that sicken me. There is no salvation ... no true path."

"Listen, you can have your little religious breakdown later," Sheppard said, not unkindly. "You help me get out of here and I promise to end Aperio once and for all."

"It will not matter," Vulture persisted.

"It _will_," John grabbed the man's shoulder and shook him. "Maybe you believed in the crap she was spinning but Snake works for people who knew exactly what she was. We can't leave her operational. I don't know exactly what she could do if they plug her into a system that isn't isolated like here – but it won't be good. There's nothing hidden at the Ancient outpost that'll justify the damage she could do." He paused, waiting for Vulture to meet his gaze. "You can get some of what she's taken from you back ... if you help me."

Vulture blinked, hesitated and then seemed to come back to himself. "You're right," he nodded. "This way."

Moving quickly, Vulture led John past where he'd been held captive to a door that looked like all the others. This one didn't lead to a room as such, but rather to an antechamber one step away from the outside. Sheppard could see through the small window in the opposite door ... the wind was swirling ice against the glass and the light was less than inspiring.

"Here," John turned from his contemplation of the external conditions to see Vulture holding out a jacket for him.

Taking it wordlessly, Sheppard pulled it on, zipping it up all the way to his chin. Gloves, hat, scarf, ski goggles and boots all followed until he was as rugged up as he could be.

Vulture pulled open the external door. The temperature in the antechamber dropped immediately even as the noise level picked up. Wind and ice hitting against the walls in a way that said 'stay inside, for god's sake!'. Not an option for Sheppard.

"There," Vulture pointed to their right where John could just make out a large building, shouting to make himself heard above the weather. "That's the warehouse where the Stargate is housed." Closing the door again Vulture brushed ice from his hair, turning back to Sheppard. "Unfortunately we cannot dial out without Ma'at," he paused, swallowed and then continued, "without _Aperio_ stopping us. But if you head past the warehouse and keep going, eventually you'll arrive at the Ancient outpost. If the elements don't defeat you first."

"Let me worry about that," Sheppard replied confidently. He looked at Vulture for a moment. "You could come with me," he suggested lightly.

"No," Vulture intoned. "I will stay and face my fate ... it is what I deserve for my actions. You were right Colonel. No true God would support so easy a path for their followers. I should not have let myself be blinded by temptation."

Sheppard nodded, knowing there was no point in arguing. Gathering himself, checking to make sure he had no unnecessary skin exposed, he turned back to the door. Hand on the handle he stopped. "You know, at the heart of it, what you wanted isn't necessarily a bad thing," he said. "You just needed to go about it in a different way."

"Perhaps," Vulture agreed. "Good luck Colonel. I will do what I can to deter pursuit."

"Thanks," John raised a gloved hand in a casual wave before opening the door and stepping quickly into the elements.

Even through his cold weather gear he could feel the extreme cold trying to get in. In still air, dressed as he was, John would have been able to maintain his core temperature for some time. The wind chill factor was the real killer ... moving air increased the rate of heat loss from the human body and made it seem as though the temperature were a lot lower than the thermometer would read. Without the gear even a few seconds of exposure under current conditions would have been enough to put him at serious risk. As it was he couldn't afford to delay.

Pushing forward, Sheppard headed for the edge of the warehouse. Visibility was poor – he could see little beyond the large structure. It was hard going fighting the unseen force of the wind determined to keep him where he was. Eventually he made it to the warehouse, using the wall to provide a bit of support as he continued forward.

Leaving the structures behind, soon it was as though John were enclosed in a world with room only for him. He could see little and hear even less above the ice and wind and was going on instinct alone in terms of maintaining his direction. His energy levels were flagging within minutes – he'd been held at the facility for a few days with little food so his reserves were low to begin with. Determination, the core Sheppard that never let him give up, fuelled him to keep going.

Time passed and slowly progress was made. He had no idea how long he'd been out there or how long he had left to go. He'd fallen into a state where his sole purpose was the placement of one foot in front of the other. Left, then right, then left again. Over and over and over.

And then it happened.

There was no warning. One moment he was taking a step, the next he was falling through the ice with nothing to impede his descent.

oOo

"Sheppard's on Earth," Rodney spoke first, his tone urgent. "We have to go get him ... right now!"

"And where exactly would you go McKay?" General O'Neill asked pointedly, his meaning carrying clearly even all the way from Washington. "This is a big planet, in case you've forgotten."

"_Did you pick up anything about John's location?_" Lorne thought at Atlantis evan as Rodney continued to argue for returning to Earth.

"_Nothing specific_," the tones of the city shifted in frustration. Lorne was about to speak when Atlantis stopped him. "_Coldness_," it offered uncertainly.

"_There are plenty of places that fit that description_," Lorne returned apologetically. "_We need more._"

"_That is all we were able to pick up._ _We can search for more as long as the Stargate remains active_," Atlantis reminded him.

"I can ah ... keep searching with the amplifier, Sir," Evan spoke up, stopping Rodney mid tirade. "Try to get a better idea of where to start."

"We've still got," Rodney glanced at his watch, "about 25 minutes before the wormhole shuts down. That should be enough."

"Okay - you give us something concrete Major and I'll send through a team," Landry promised.

"Thank you Sir," Lorne shot Rodney a pointed look, reminding him wordlessly that they were skirting the edges of a disclosure disaster here. If Lorne managed to get a starting point they'd still do better with Atlantis to guide them and narrow their search. Which meant Evan needed Rodney to be the one at the other end of the line on Earth. There was no way he'd be able to explain what he was doing otherwise. Justifying why John's team had to travel all the way from Atlantis rather than sending someone already on Earth was going to be more than a little difficult.

"I'll handle it," Rodney promised in a low tone, motioning for Evan to keep going.

"Right," Lorne muttered. "You'll handle it." Closing his eyes, he focussed on his connection to Atlantis through the amplifier. "_So ... coldness_?" he asked Atlantis.

"_Yes_," the chorus agreed. "_We do not wish to cause you pain Evan but the connection to John was very weak. With your permission we will strengthen our access to the amplifier to our maximum in the hopes of picking up John's presence again. If we can establish a connection John may be able to tell us exactly where he is._"

"_So this is gonna hurt more than it did before_," Lorne stated. Before Atlantis could reply he gave a mental shrug. "_Don't worry about it ... just find Colonel Sheppard_."

"_Very well_," Atlantis caressed his mind with a regretful note. And then the pressure in Evan's head ramped up abruptly and he had to resist the urge to take his hands from the chair controls. Groaning audibly, he struggled to stay with it, praying that Atlantis would be quick ... that John was listening.

**Authors Note:**

Another chapter .. finally ... and some Sheppard action. Go John! Hope you enjoy ... thanks for reading!


	13. Where the hell was he?

**Chapter 13: Where the hell was he?**

It wasn't a smooth journey down ... jutting rocks delivered damage as an unpleasant precursor to a landing that was hard _and_ painful.

Groaning, Sheppard found himself on his back looking up at a hole in the ceiling above him, momentarily confused. The dull daylight looked brighter from his position in the darkness and only a few specks of ice made it all the way down, fluttering to rest lightly on his goggles before melting away.

"Oww," John shifted carefully, checking for damage. The sharp agony that was his right side didn't bode well ... unable to resist pressing a gloved hand to his ribs he winced, his breath catching harshly. He'd probably cracked a rib or two at the least ... there was no point in wondering about all the other possible internal damage that might have been done since there was nothing he could do to fix it right then.

Bracing himself Sheppard slowly got to his feet, swaying weakly as he registered the beginnings of a headache. He vaguely recalled hitting his head on the ground when he landed ... meaning he could probably add a concussion to his list of woes.

So far his self rescue wasn't going well ... squinting into the darkness surrounding him, John frowned. Speaking of rescue, where the hell was he? Fumbling through his pockets he finally located the torch Vulture had given him. Turning it on Sheppard shone it slowly around.

"What the?" he frowned again.

Straightening as much as he could, he hobbled forward, scanning the area. He was in what looked like a tunnel of some sort. One end was collapsed which explained the hole he'd fallen through. In front of him though the way seemed clear and stretched out for what looked like some distance. The most confusing thing of all though was the tunnel itself. If he wasn't mistaken it was Ancient although he couldn't see how that was possible. Either he'd covered a much greater distance than he'd realised or the Ancient outpost was a lot bigger than they'd previously believed.

There was only one thing to do ... follow the tunnel and see where it led. At least he was out of the elements and whatever he'd done to himself seemed manageable - for the moment.

Shining the torch forward, John set off into the darkness.

oOo

Time crawled as Lorne let himself be the human conduit for Atlantis to search for Colonel Sheppard. He hadn't gotten used to the pain of having his brain stretched to do something he was pretty sure it hadn't been designed for. In fact, as the seconds passed Evan became convinced he was only a step away from losing it completely – hair tearing, beating his head against the wall losing it. He'd closed his eyes to concentrate which was just as well because his eyeballs felt like they'd explode out of their sockets otherwise. Everything throbbed insistently ... 'stop', 'stop', 'stop' in time with his heart which was beating much faster than usual. He felt hot too ... he couldn't raise a hand to check but Lorne was pretty sure beads of sweat were collecting on his forehead.

At the back of his mind with what little spare brain capacity he had, the Major wondered briefly why Atlantis needed him at all. From what he understood she _was_ the embodiment of all the various systems that made up the city. Why couldn't she just use the amplifier by herself and then display the results on a screen somewhere?

"_Because we came into being through our connection to our human creators_," the chorus shimmered gently as Atlantis refocussed on him. "_The very nature of our conscious existence depended on them ... without their presence we would be nothing more than shadow. We needed them to function - to perceive, to understand - just as much as they needed us._"

"_Wait_," Evan frowned, trying to get his thoughts collected enough to form actual sentences he could direct at the city. "_Wouldn't that mean you were ... dormant the whole time the city was on the bottom of the ocean?_"

"_Yes_." Sadness, despair, hopelessness. The notes twanged discordantly, making Lorne wince. "_The day of John's arrival was like a jolt of pure energy, a light that guided us back into being._"

"_Wow_," Lorne returned in surprise. "_No wonder you're so driven to get Colonel Sheppard back_."

"_You are in pain_," abruptly Atlantis changed the subject, her notes shifting into maternal concern.

"_I'm fine_," Evan insisted, although the fact that Atlantis could see inside his head made that lie a waste of mental effort.

"_You are not_," the chorus was just as insistent. "_We will tone back our use of the amplifier to a more manageable level._"

"_NO!_" Lorne's whole body clenched violently as he protested that move before the city could make it. Calming himself he continued in a more reasonable tone. "_Okay, yes, giving you open access to the amplifier and the Stargate at the same time hurts like a son of a b - ... a lot. But the gate won't be open for much longer and you need to find the Colonel before it closes._"

"_Evan_," the chorus began.

"_No protests_," he broke in. "_They won't let us dial Earth again. Too much of a drain on the ZPM. They'll send their own teams out to search for him which will be like looking for a needle in a haystack. You either find John in the next few minutes or we're out of it._"

"_Very well_," the multiple tones of the city came back reluctant after a few moments of silence. "_However, you must be aware of the risks ... there is a slight chance that pushing you this hard for too long could result in permanent damage._"

"_Ah ...,_" Evan didn't know what to think at first. "_How big a chance?_"

"_Minimal, but it __is__ there_," Atlantis replied. "_And the longer we proceed the more likely it becomes_."

"_Okay ... well you should hurry it up then_," Lorne immediately braced himself for the renewed pressure on his mind. He felt the city sigh in every cell of his body before she returned her attention to reaching out across the void between galaxies.

oOo

Even though the tunnel was cut off from the brutality of the outside conditions the temperature was still well below zero and Sheppard was feeling it all the way down to his bones.

His aching, bruised and battered bones.

It was tough going, his shuffling, stumbling gait getting the job done but without his usual grace and economy of movement. After a few minutes of that he'd resorted to using the wall for support, one hand resting lightly against it as he moved forward. The amount of weight he applied to the wall was a barometer for how he was doing ... the longer he went on the heavier he leaned, telling himself it was because he was conserving his strength, not because he couldn't walk without support.

If he were honest though he'd have to admit that everything hurt ... something John was entirely too familiar with. But still, he counted himself lucky to be moving at all after that fall. The trouble was, he had nothing else to focus on apart from his own sorry condition ... the incongruity of an Ancient tunnel under the ice had lost its appeal the longer his journey went on and Sheppard had already constructed the plan in his head assuming the tunnel ended somewhere favourable for him.

Make contact with the good guys ... use whatever means were available to go back and take out the bad guys. And then blow that facility off the planet. Simple.

Sheppard _was_ paying attention but he'd fallen into a kind of zombie like state, focussed more on his feet and the wall supporting him than he was on what lay ahead. That's why he was almost upon the dead end when he realised. Stopping abruptly a step away he shone the torch light from the ground all the way up to the ceiling in disbelief.

"You've got to be _kidding_ me!" he ground out, slapping a gloved hand to the obstructing wall in frustration. "This is just ...," he trailed off with a growl, turning away and taking a figurative as well as literal step back.

"This can't be it," he muttered, turning back and taking another look. Slowly he examined the wall closely, running gloved hands over the smooth surface looking for a hidden means of opening it. More than once he pushed his body too far, stretching beyond the point his current injuries could sustain and then cursing himself painfully before quickly getting on with it again.

Ten minutes later Sheppard slumped against the side of the tunnel, sliding down to sit on the floor weakly. As far as he could tell there was no way to get through – not from his side anyway. He was cold, in pain and stuck in a tunnel under the ice miles away from any means of help.

"I am so screwed," he muttered, sans Rodney McKay. "Okay guys," he said loudly. "This would be the point where you sweep in with the impressive rescue." He waited. "Any time now."

Silence ... not unexpected. Laughing at himself, John rested his head back against the wall. He'd break for a while and then head back the way he'd come. One way or another he was getting to the Ancient outpost, even if he had to crawl all the way there.

oOo

"Major?" Rodney's voice barely penetrated the haze that was Evan's current existence. "Lorne?" Rodney persisted.

"What?!" Evan demanded without opening his eyes.

"I ah ... are you okay?" Rodney asked uncertainly.

"I don't think now is the time to be asking me that," Lorne returned, subtlely reminding the other man that they had an audience at the other end of the wormhole, not to mention up in the control room.

"I cut the comm," Rodney retorted irritably.

"Right," Evan squinted one eye open to glance at his companion.

"So are you?" Rodney persisted. "Okay, that is ... because you look like hell."

"Don't give it to me gently McKay," Lorne shot back. Sighing he closed his eyes again, even the relatively muted light in the chair room too much for his head to take. "You know how it goes Rodney ... hurts like hell but it's not gonna kill me ... I hope."

"Is she making progress?" Rodney asked.

"I have _no_ idea," Evan admitted. "I'm just keeping the two systems talking to each other. How much time do we have?"

"Nineteen minutes, give or take a few seconds," the scientist returned, voice heavy with worry.

"Still time," Evan said positively.

"They're not gonna let us dial in again," Rodney pointed out what Lorne already knew.

"She knows," Lorne replied. "The real question is ...," he broke off abruptly, attention diverted.

"_John?_" Atlantis called out again, her notes so mournful and pleading that Evan began to feel like an unwelcome intruder in a conversation he shouldn't be a party to. "_John ... please help us to help you. HEAR US! John?_"

It was beyond freaky to Lorne, the sudden tingling he got, kind of like how Ancient tech felt just before you activated it, but not quite. He didn't need the city's cry of joy to know Colonel Sheppard had finally been detected.

"_We sense him!_" Atlantis announced, notes almost giddily dancing up and down the scales.

"_Where is he?_" Lorne demanded.

"_John ... where are you?_" Atlantis asked urgently. From Lorne's point of view there was more of that strange externally sourced and yet internal tingling – maybe John could have tapped into that and heard the other side of the conversation but Evan didn't even want to try. His head felt too close to splitting and he knew it wasn't over yet, despite Atlantis now having contact with his CO. Evan had to hold out for as long as possible – until the gate shut down – get Sheppard's team as close as possible to his location while they still had access to Atlantis for help.

"What?" Rodney frowned when Evan just stopped talking. "Major." Nothing. "LORNE?" Rodney moved closer, hesitant to disturb the other man but really wanting to shake him back to alertness.

Evan's eyes snapped open abruptly, the blue looking too vivid surrounded by bloodshot whites. "Antarctica," he said. "Sheppard is in Antarctica – near the Ancient outpost." Vision refocussing, Lorne pinned Rodney with an intent look. "You need to hurry. He's in some kind of tunnel cut off from the outpost. He wouldn't admit it but Atlantis thinks he's injured."

"Right," Rodney ran to the doorway, stopping with a hand to the doorframe as he looked back to Lorne. "You'll uh ...," he waved a hand vaguely at the control chair.

"I'll keep the link going as long as the Gate's open," Lorne promised. "You get Ronon and Teyla and get yourselves to Earth. Hurry it up McKay."

"Right," Rodney said again, turning and running from the room.

Evan slumped back in the chair, closing his eyes and gathering his remaining reserves. Once this was over he was going straight to bed and sleeping for a week ... maybe more.

oOo

It took a while before Sheppard realised what he was sensing. Maybe because he's stopped and was no longer devoting all his mental focus to getting somewhere. Or maybe because he was finally close enough for it to make a difference. Either way, he'd been resting, back against the tunnel wall for a few minutes before the tingling on the edges of his perception finally penetrated his conscious thoughts.

Somewhere close by there was Ancient tech ... _the Outpost_. He was close ... frustratingly close!

He'd never tried to access the Ancient systems so remotely, especially without any kind of physical connection to a control panel or data pad, but it wouldn't hurt to try. And he'd had recent practice with something similar when he'd overloaded the cube device. Granted, that had been on a much smaller scale but the same principles should apply. Maybe he could switch on something that would get him noticed or at least have someone looking for the cause.

Focussing his thoughts, more difficult than it should have been because of the distractions of pain and cold, John reached out, looking for anything useful. What he found surprised the hell out of him.

"_Atlantis?!_" His eyes shot open, vision turned inwards so that he was hardly aware of his surroundings.

"_John!_" the joyous tones of the city had never been more welcome to him.

"_How?_" That one word expressed a world of confusion and disbelief.

"_We cannot stop to explain it now_," Atlantis dismissed kindly. "_Time is short if we are to remain connected to assist in your rescue._" There was a pause before she spoke again. "_John - where are you?_"

"_Antarctica_," John put aside his questions, focussing on how best to describe his location. "_I discovered a tunnel under the ice – it's close to the Ancient outpost but I can't get through – there's a wall on my side blocking the way._"

"_Understood_," the chorus was purposeful and more reassuring than John wanted to admit. "_We have relayed the information through to Doctor McKay. He and the rest of your team are on their way ... stay with us John. Once they arrive there we may be able to assist in getting them closer to your location._"

"_I'm not going anywhere_," Sheppard returned wearily.

"_You are well?_" Atlantis queried, clearly concerned.

"_I got banged around a little getting down here, that's all_," John dismissed casually.

"_That is truly all?_" John almost smiled at the notes of suspicion colouring the city's voice. She knew him too well.

"_It's pretty cold down here_," he admitted. "_Saps the strength. Don't worry – I'll be okay until Rodney and the others get here._"

"_Very well_," Atlantis agreed. "_We will urge them to proceed with all speed._"

"_You do that_," Sheppard replied. "_I'll just ... wait here._"

**Authors Note:**

Another chapter - and so soon (grins). Yay me! LOL. The really good news is that I've written the whole story now - yes it does have an ending! I still have to edit as I post but there shouldn't be any more long delays. Thanks for reading.


	14. So how do we get to him?

**Chapter 14: So how do we get to him?**

Rodney jogged the entire distance from the Chair up to the control room, running dialogue in his head to explain why it had to be them who went to rescue John.

"We've got something," he announced as he took the stairs two at a time.

Teyla and Ronon moved towards him, Ronon looking ready to shoot something just as soon as Rodney told him where to point his blaster.

"Major Lorne was able to locate John?" Teyla asked hopefully.

"Yeah," Rodney nodded, turning his attention to Richard Woolsey. "You're not gonna believe this. He's in Antarctica. Lorne couldn't get an exact position – just that it's somewhere near the Ancient Outpost."

"General Landry, did you catch that?" Woolsey asked.

"We did," Landry replied. "The Apollo is scanning the area for Colonel Sheppard's subcutaneous transmitter now."

They all waited anxiously to hear the result.

"No joy on the transmitter," Landry reported a few seconds later. "We'll beam a team to the outpost and begin a search of the facility and surrounds."

"Ah ... General Landry?" Rodney spoke up quickly.

"Yes Doctor McKay?" Landry's voice was patient.

"We - Teyla, Ronon and I - need to be a part of that search," Rodney said rapidly, launching into an explanation before the General could question him. "I know the Outpost better than any of the people you could send," he reminded everyone listening that he'd served there for months before the Atlantis expedition had gotten off the ground. "I've got the ATA gene and I can bring one of our scanning units – tie it in with the systems at the outpost as we go to narrow the search. And ah ... I know the amplifier system we used to locate Sheppard as well. Major Lorne can keep the system operational for as long as the wormhole remains active. When we get a little closer there's a chance he can give me more specific coordinates. When we find Sheppard, if he's ah ... not in good shape ... well, I know he'd prefer it to be his team who brings him back." Rodney paused, not sure if his words were having an impact. "The wormhole is already open ... sending us through isn't gonna drain any more power from the ZPM than we've already used."

General Landry was silent for a moment. "Very well Doctor. Bring your team."

"Thank you," Rodney was grateful the other man hadn't made him argue further because he wasn't sure what more he could have said. He nodded to Teyla and Ronon, the three turning as one and heading for the stairs. Rodney paused only to take the Ancient scanner Chuck had somehow managed to procure.

"Did you get an indicator of John's current condition," Teyla asked in a low voice as they strode towards the Stargate.

"Injured but not in immediate danger," Rodney muttered, taking the vest and weapons one of the Gateroom marines handed him. Teyla did the same, quickly gearing up, her own weapon held ready.

"The Apollo will beam you directly to the Outpost as soon as you arrive," Woolsey stood at the control room balcony looking down at the team. "Good luck."

Nodding, Rodney walked through the wormhole back to Earth, Teyla and Ronon flanking him.

oOo

"_Can we do anything to help McKay locate Colonel Sheppard?_" Lorne asked Atlantis.

"_We will be able to tell Doctor McKay if John hears their approach_," the city suggested.

"_I was thinking more like the Ancient gene equivalent of a homing beacon_," Evan clarified. "_Colonel Sheppard knows when operational Ancient Tech is nearby, right? Could Rodney maybe alter his scanner to emit some kind of signal so John knows when they're getting closer?_"

"_That is very clever Evan_," Atlantis complimented, raising a faint smile from the Major. "_If you will relay your suggestion to Doctor McKay when they arrive at the Outpost I will inform John to listen for the signal._"

"Mister Woolsey," Evan accessed the comm. "As soon as you get confirmation McKay's team has arrived in Antarctica, can you have them patch his radio directly to me?"

"Of course Major," Woolsey for once didn't question further, probably assuming Lorne needed the connection to relay information about the amplifier scan. A few moments later Woolsey got back on the line. "Doctor McKay is at the Outpost Major. Chuck is patching you through now."

"Thank you Sir," Lorne replied.

"Major," Rodney's voice sounded choppy as though he were walking fast, which he probably was.

"Got an idea McKay," Evan spoke quickly, letting the scientist know they had a closed line for the duration and then outlining his plan.

"That's ...," Rodney trailed off, impressed but not wanting to admit it. He'd come to appreciate the Major over the past few days but there was no way he'd reveal that. Their shared snippiness and general air of disregard had almost become a communication style between the two men, something Rodney was comfortable with. There was no pressure to even pretend to make an effort with Lorne – the man really did accept McKay exactly as he was and wasn't backward in making that pretty obvious.

"I know ... you're impressed but don't want to admit it," Lorne smirked. "Atlantis has Sheppard on side. Can you do it?"

"Well of course I can do it," Rodney shot back. "The scanning units emit something similar to our own Earth based EM field – it's how we can relay information to and from the city's systems without a direct connection. If I dial that up a bit, Sheppard should be able to pick it up. He might not be able to tell if we're ten paces away or fifty but it'll be enough to get us pretty close."

"Okay - let me know when you're ready," Lorne tried to relax, tried to ignore everything except the immediate task at hand, grateful for the host of military training and experience he'd had over the years that really did help in coping with difficult situations.

"Done," Rodney came back a minute or so later. "I'm emitting as strong a signal as this thing is capable of generating." He paused. "We've got eight minutes left Major."

"I know ... I wish I could give you a direction but Colonel Sheppard can't give Atlantis more than what he's already told us. Visibility was poor and he didn't really know where he was to begin with."

"Right," Rodney looked at Teyla and Ronon worriedly.

"Come on," Ronon motioned for them to proceed. The Apollo had beamed them from the Gateroom at the SGC to Antarctica before they could even acknowledge anyone. Their arrival at the outpost had caused momentary surprise but the leader of the team of marines Landry had also sent along quickly explained the situation and gained the cooperation of the small team of scientists and military permanently assigned there. Teams had been dispatched to search on the orders of the marines but Rodney had made it clear they'd go about it in their own way ... after accepting the thick jackets pressed upon them of course.

Ronon picked a direction at random, leading Teyla and Rodney away from the centre of the facility. "Lorne said Sheppard was near the outpost but not in it, right?" Rodney nodded. "So we head for the nearest external wall. If he can't pick that we're approaching we switch to the next one until he can."

"You are sure the signal will be strong enough?" Teyla asked.

"It's strong enough," Rodney shot back irritably. "Sheppard's picked up Ancient tech weaker than this in the past ... that Replicator enhanced unit is a case in point. If we're close he'll know about it."

"Very well," Teyla nodded. "What of his captors?"

"Lorne didn't mention anything," Rodney frowned, getting back on the radio. "Major Lorne ... did Sheppard say what happened to the people who brought him here?"

There was a pause before Lorne replied. "He escaped. Says he needs to deal with that once you guys rescue him but there's no immediate threat. Oh, and he said Hurry it up McKay."

"Har har," Rodney smiled, ridiculously pleased to be hearing a classic Sheppardism after too many days of worry for his friend.

Ronon had chosen the eastern wall ... they hurried along corridors, getting more than halfway there before Lorne relayed that Sheppard was pretty confident it was the wrong direction.

"South then," Rodney muttered, eyes on his scanner as he turned right. More precious time was used before John called that direction as wrong too.

"This way," Teyla suggested, pointing west.

"This one better be right," Rodney tried not to let his nervousness show. "We're running out of time here."

Nodding, Teyla picked up the pace, forcing Rodney to almost jog to keep up.

"Wait!" Lorne's voice came over the radio abruptly. They stopped. "Colonel Sheppard said he feels the signal Rodney but you're slightly off. You need to head to your right at the first opportunity, but keep it as westerly as you can."

"He does realise these corridors are all pretty much squares right?" Rodney complained. "It's a little hard to go right but still be heading west."

"We will do as you suggest Major," Teyla broke in, looking at Rodney pointedly.

"Right," Rodney agreed weakly. "Right but west ... got it."

oOo

"Who's doing the work at your end?" John roused himself to ask while waiting for his team to arrive at the Outpost. He spoke aloud, his voice echoing in the empty tunnel.

"_Major Lorne_," Atlantis revealed. "_It is ... difficult for him but he was the only one with the strength to do what we required._"

"You're giving him one hell of a headache, aren't you?" Sheppard glossed over the fact that yet another person now knew about the existence of Atlantis as a self aware entity – and of John's ability to communicate with her.

"_He was most insistent that we continue_," the chorus seemed somewhat apologetic.

"That sounds like Lorne," John grinned suddenly. "The guy could out stubborn Rodney without saying a word."

"_They will have much to tell you when you return_," Atlantis offered. Before he could respond she spoke again. "_Doctor McKay, Teyla and Ronon have arrived. Major Lorne suggested they alter a scanning unit to send out a signal for you to hone in on. As they approach your location you should be able to sense them._"

"Okay, I'm listening," Sheppard agreed.

"_Major Lorne wishes to know about the status of your captors?_" the question was asked without inflection but John could hear notes of discontent – it amused him in a way that the city would be angry on his behalf.

"I escaped ... with a little help," he explained. "Got unfinished business though, so the sooner they can find me the sooner I can deal with it."

"_Yes_," Atlantis said simply.

A few minutes passed without communication until Sheppard began to feel impatient. "Whatever direction they're heading in is wrong," he told the city. "Tell them to try again."

More waiting and then more communicating that they were still on the wrong track until finally John began to sense something other than the constant presence of the outpost itself. As they got closer he found that he was able to fine tune their direction, much to Rodney's frustration. John was giving him straight line instructions but Rodney had to contend with corridors and corners that weren't making it as easy as that.

Eventually though Sheppard knew they were getting very close.

"Not much further," he told Atlantis. "The signal's pretty strong now – I'm not sure I'll be able to give them much more. Tell Rodney to look for a wall that isn't a wall ... there's gotta be some kind of hidden mechanism for opening it."

"_We have relayed the information_," Atlantis replied. "_Rodney wishes to remind you of the thirty eight minute window._"

"How long have we got exactly?" John asked, almost used to their strange, four way conversation now. A question from him to Atlantis relayed through Lorne to Rodney. It was complicated but there was no doubt it was getting the job done.

"_Doctor McKay's reaction was ... unexpected_," Atlantis reported back. "_Major Lorne said he scoffed and then said always with you it is the meaningless numbers. It will close when it closes – he cannot give you more than that._"

Sheppard laughed, forgetting that was never a good idea for someone with injured ribs. Groaning, he clutched his side, still smiling slightly. "Good to know some things never change."

And then abruptly she was gone. John could still feel the Outpost on the other side of the wall ... still sense the Ancient signal Rodney was pumping out. He just couldn't tell anyone about it anymore. The wormhole had shut down and he was back to being on his own.

oOo

Lorne continued to act as messenger relay, the extra requirement to converse with the city and with Rodney at the same time taxing him even further. He'd begun to feel worryingly disconnected from his physical self when abruptly everything changed.

It was a different kind of pain to be in the middle of connections only to have them ripped away suddenly. The Major was glad there was no one there to hear him yell at the agony of it. "Damn it," he cursed, even as he grimly held on to the only link he had left - Atlantis.

"_Evan_," the city called to him in urgent concern.

"I'm here," he spoke aloud, slurring his words slightly, unable to gather his mental resources enough for think the words.

"_You require assistance_," the chorus stated.

"Did we do enough?" Lorne ignored her statement for the moment, keeping his eyes closed and his entire body as still as possible in the chair.

"_Doctor McKay was very close ... John believed as close as he could guide them_," she reassured him. "_Your part is complete. My communication is now causing you needless discomfort. Please ... shut down the chair and call for medical assistance._"

"Right," Evan hesitated for a moment, wondering if his brief sojourn of friendship with the city was at an end. He felt as exhausted as he could ever remember being and his head was pounding so hard every heart beat had him twitching painfully but ... he didn't want to let go.

"_We will speak again_," Atlantis said gently. "_Thank you for what you have done today Evan. We could not have gone so far to find John without you._"

"All part of the service," Lorne got out. Taking his hands from the chair controls, he sat up, the chair deactivated. Tapping his radio he put a call through to the control room.

"Medi ... cal assist ... ance ... Chair ... room," he ground out, pushing up from his seat.

He didn't know why he expected to just get up and walk away ... even as his legs went out from under him and he slumped against the base of the Chair Evan realised the folly of that. Letting himself slide sideways to the floor, head resting on the cold surface, Lorne was thinking it would be a relief to just let the waiting blackness take him away, if only the pounding would let up enough to make that possible.

"_Rest Evan_," a disembodied voice floated out of the ether. He felt the brief caress of something larger and more complex than he could comprehend against his mind. The pain wasn't gone but it _did_ shift to hover over him rather than continue to weigh him down. He sighed. Between one heart beat and the next, the Major finally slept.

oOo

"Major?" Rodney tapped the radio but got nothing back. "Great!" he glared at the corridor around him as though the walls themselves were at fault. "Now what?"

"Major Lorne indicated that we were very close," Teyla said calmly. "Can you not use the scanner to locate an open area on the other side of these walls?"

"Yes - of course!" Rodney smacked his own forehead before looking at Teyla apologetically. "Sorry," he said uncharacteristically.

"It is all right Rodney," Teyla put a hand to his arm reassuringly. "It has been days since you slept properly ... you are tired."

Ronon had remained silent for most of their search. Now he nudged Rodney, nodding to the scanning unit that was almost an extension of the other man's own hand. "What does that thing say?"

"Ah ...," Rodney glanced down. "That there's nothing but rock and ice behind this wall." He walked forward slowly, eyes on the screen. Ronon and Teyla followed, keeping quiet. "Still nothing," Rodney reported, frowning. "Wait ...," he stopped. "Here," he announced, pointing at the wall in front of them.

"John is behind that wall?" Teyla asked uncertainly.

"There's a large open space behind that wall," Rodney corrected. "Whether Sheppard's there or not is another matter. Something about the wall itself isn't allowing me to pick up life signs – either that or the extreme cold is hampering its operation. I don't think the Ancients designed these things to work in subzero temperatures."

"So how do we get to him?" Ronon asked, taking out his blaster with a suggestive expression.

"That won't work Conan," Rodney said sarcastically. "Not unless you want to bring the wall down on top of Sheppard. Look for some kind of control panel – something hidden. Hopefully we'll be able to open a doorway ... doesn't make sense having a tunnel here otherwise."

Teyla began her search on the lower part of the wall, Ronon looking from the roof line down. Rodney stepped up to the middle of the wall, running his hands over its smooth surface slowly. He almost missed it, that faint ridge that suggested a join of some sort.

"I've got something," he announced. Holding out a hand to Ronon he continued. "Knife."

Wordlessly Ronon pulled a small blade from his sleeve and handed it to Rodney. Carefully Rodney inserted the knife into the ridge, working it slowly until he'd made a gap. Widening the gap enough to ease the blade edge under the covering panel he was rewarded with the panel coming away from the wall abruptly, dropping to the floor with a noisy clatter.

The crystal arrangement revealed was very familiar. Rodney smiled. "_Now_ we're close," he announced smugly, quickly moving to swap the positions of some of the crystals.

oOo

John tried to be patient but it was difficult when you were freezing your arse off (despite being rugged up like the Michelin man), in pain, and uncomfortably aware of the sudden, all encompassing silence.

"Come on guys," he muttered, pushing up off the floor with a pained groan and moving closer to the obstructing wall.

The sound of something hitting the ground on the other side pre-empted what was about to happen. There was as sudden swish as the entire wall rose upward, disappearing into the ceiling above them as it revealed a most welcome sight. Rodney, Teyla and Ronon standing in a corridor on the other side.

"Well, it's about time!" Sheppard said irritably.


	15. It won’t take long McKay

**Chapter 15: It won't take long McKay**

"You have _no_ idea how much effort it took to get here!" Rodney shot back. "Next time could you _try_ to keep your kidnappings to just the one galaxy?"

"Yeah, nice to see you too Rodney," Sheppard smirked, happier than he'd ever admit to see his grumpy friend again.

"It is good to see you John," Teyla stepped forward, holding out her hands.

"You too," Sheppard replied, taking her hands and letting her draw him down to touch foreheads. He couldn't avoid the wince of pain and slight groan that had Teyla's eyes narrowing.

"You are injured," she stated, stepping back and looking at him closely.

"It's nothing," John dismissed lightly, not meeting her eyes. "A couple of cracked ribs maybe ... I kinda found this place by falling through the ice."

"We should probably get back then," Ronon suggested, slapping a hand to John's back that had him staggering forward.

"You wanna ease up a little buddy?" John complained, putting a hand to his side. "Ribs, remember?"

"Sorry," Ronon returned with a grin, unrepentant as usual.

Teyla nodded, activating her radio to quickly report their success in locating Colonel Sheppard, calling off the other rescue teams.

"Right ... this way," Rodney announced, consulting his data pad before heading back through the doorway and turning right.

John fell into step beside the other man, Teyla and Ronon bringing up the rear.

"So ... how'd you end up here anyway?" Rodney asked. "It's a long way from M7G 677."

"Redirected wormhole program, portable DHD and the remnants of the gate bridge," Sheppard summarised succinctly.

"The Trust?" Rodney suggested, brow raised in surprise.

"An offshoot," John explained, going into more detail about Vulture and his little 'religious' order as they walked back through the Ancient Outpost towards the central control room. "I need to go back there," he announced as they arrived.

"What? No way – we just got you back," Rodney protested.

"It won't take long McKay," Sheppard said casually.

"You are in need of medical attention John," Teyla reminded him, nodding to the marine leader who'd accompanied them from the SGC.

"I _need_ to finish this," Sheppard countered forcefully, manfully restraining the grimace of pain from fully forming on his face. "How'd you guys get here?"

"The Apollo," Ronon was the only one to realise immediately that John wouldn't be swayed.

"Excellent," Sheppard grinned suddenly. "Colonel Ellis, this is Sheppard," he grabbed Rodney's radio and activated it to speak directly to the Apollo's commanding officer.

"Colonel Sheppard," Ellis replied. "It's good to hear your voice."

"Thank you Sir," John returned. "Listen ... can you beam us straight up there? I need a favour."

"Of course," Ellis agreed readily.

"You'll need this," Rodney handed John a transponder, his expression still worried although he refrained from further protests.

Sheppard accepted the device, moments later feeling the warmth of a transporter beam sweeping over him. When it died away he was on the bridge of the Apollo.

"Colonel," he said, greeting the ships commanding officer.

"Colonel," Ellis greeted him back. "What do you need?"

"Can we get a visual of the surface?" Sheppard requested.

Nodding, Ellis motioned for his communications officer to bring up an image on the nearest view screen.

John leaned in, his physical ails forgotten for the moment as he concentrated on the real time view of icy whiteness below. The Ancient outpost was underground, the elevator they'd installed to get down there the only thing visible at ground level.

"Pan out," Sheppard requested, frowning as he watched everything shrink. Visibility was still poor but John was able to pick out what looked like tiny boxes buried in snow a few miles out from the outpost. "There," he pointed insistently. "Can you focus in there?"

"Yes Sir," the bridge officer manning the controls replied.

Sheppard's eyes tracked the images on the screen while in his head he ran through his mental schematic of the facility.

"It's an abandoned research station," Rodney announced, tapping away at another keyboard close by. "One of ours ... hasn't been used in years."

"Well it's in use now," John retorted. "Got their own Stargate and everything." He fell silent again, ticking off buildings in his head until he had the right one. He couldn't be completely sure of course – he'd been unconscious on the way back from his one audience with Aperio but he'd seen no trace of those hologram rooms when he'd been searching for a way out and it stood to reason that they'd isolate the program they'd seen as so valuable. There were only three buildings down there – the large warehouse, the one he'd escaped from and hopefully Aperio's little hidey-hole.

"Colonel," he turned to Ellis purposefully. "I need you to beam the entire contents of this building out into space." He pointed at the structure in question.

"Space?" Ellis's eyebrows rose in surprise.

"Trust me," Sheppard said insistently. "What's in there is too dangerous to leave for anyone else to find. You beam it into space and then you blast it. It's the only way to be sure."

"No life signs ... as far as I can tell," Rodney offered.

Ellis looked at John for a few moments but Sheppard never wavered in his intent gaze. "Fine," Ellis announced. "Do it Major," he told his first officer.

One sector of space was displayed on the view screen and John watched expressionlessly as it turned from blackness to bright white as the Aperio room was deposited there.

"_Sheppard!_" Aperio's voice took over the ships communications abruptly, sounding very close even though John knew she'd been beamed some distance away.

"Colonel," Ellis began, confused.

John ignored him, everything focussed on his 'foe'. At the back of his mind he wondered how many times he'd heard his last name spat out with that much contempt attached to it. Too many times to count.

"Is that ...?" Rodney looked at John, horrified.

"Yes," Sheppard shot Rodney an intent look in return. "Is there any way she can ...," he trailed off, waving a hand vaguely.

"Take over the ship?" Rodney suggested, not waiting for John's nod before answering. "I don't think so ... the communications system is picking up her broadcast so it's more us than her. Given enough time though, who knows what she could do."

"_Sheppard!_" the curse seemed even louder the second time as Aperio demanded attention.

"I can cut her off," Rodney offered.

"No," Sheppard held up a hand, "not yet. Just make it so that she can hear me." Rodney tapped away rapidly and then nodded that it was done.

"How dare you treat -," Aperio continued, her voice angry and affronted.

"Oh I dare," Sheppard interrupted her tirade, his expression grim. "You're like a virus – only uglier and a lot more dangerous. It's time to delete you ... permanently."

"I am endless ... indestructible," Aperio was superior, smug, too confident in her perceived place in the universe.

"Maybe you _were_," John countered, laughing harshly. "But your little band of followers transferred you to our poor inferior Earth computers. And you know what that means ...," he finally acknowledged Colonel Ellis, motioning for him to take the shot.

"Hit it," Ellis told his weapons officer.

"_NO!_" Aperio growled. "N-," her voice was abruptly cut off.

Sheppard felt a deep satisfaction as the ships weapons fired on the floating remnants of Aperio, disintegrating them into nothingness.

"Who _was_ that Sheppard?" Ellis asked.

"Believe me, you don't want to know," Sheppard replied. "Just think pure evil and you'd be pretty close."

"Right. Anything else down there you'd like to relocate Colonel?" Ellis asked somewhat sarcastically.

"No," John said with a smirk. "Just give me a P-90 and beam me and my team down there to round up the human culprits and my week will end on a much higher note than it started."

"John," Teyla's tone warned him that she wasn't impressed with him continuing to ignore his physical ails.

"Teyla," he shot her a look back, determination etched in concrete on his face.

"As far as I can tell there're only four people down there," Rodney spoke up, fingers still flying over the controls. He'd continued to make use of the Apollo's scanners to check out the situation on the surface, knowing John well enough to realise he wouldn't rest until all the loose ends were wrapped up. "The extreme conditions might be hampering the scanners a little but I'd be surprised if there were many more than that."

"See .. piece of cake," John told Teyla, urging her to go along with him.

"Very well," Teyla nodded once, still looking reluctant but resigned.

"Colonel Ellis?" Sheppard looked to the other man hopefully.

"Get this man a weapon," Ellis told one of his men.

oOo

In the end it proved too easy ... Snake was still unconscious on the floor where John had left him and Vulture had locked up Ninja guy and the fourth member of his little kidnapping team himself. Vulture submitted himself voluntarily, everything done with barely a word. All team Sheppard had to do was put the plastic cable tie restrains on and attach transponders to each of them to complete the clean up. Ronon's expression as he put away his blaster was classic – John was pretty sure he'd been hoping one of bad guys would try to escape just for the pleasure of dishing out a little retribution.

"Easy big guy," he said, a hand to the younger man's shoulder. "They'll get their punishment."

"Won't be as satisfying," Ronon returned, giving John a feral grin. "You sure you don't want a little pay back?"

"I'm good," John replied, meaning it. Blowing Aperio from space had been satisfaction enough.

He still took the extra time needed to check every building ... the stargate warehouse, the cell he'd first woken up in, the rooms where he'd seen Aperio. They was stripped bare, no sign of anything the program could have copied itself to. Only then did Sheppard truly relax. Aperio really was gone ... for good this time and he was pretty damn glad about that.

oOo

Sheppard had held up well in the hour it had taken to tie up all the loose ends but now that everything really was over he was starting to fade fast. Exhaustion, head ache, not to mention his broken ribs were all starting to take their toll. Still, he insisted that all four captives be beamed directly to the SGC and taken to holding cells before he allowed himself to follow and be attended to in the bases infirmary.

It wasn't as comforting as being back on Atlantis but Doctor Lam was as thorough as Carson and Jennifer had ever been. Within minutes he'd been x-rayed, medicated, had his ribs strapped tight and was ensconced in an infirmary bed for the usual hours of observation.

"You okay?" Rodney strolled into the infirmary only minutes after Dr Lam was done with Sheppard, making it pretty obvious he'd been hovering around outside waiting for the all clear.

"Three broken ribs, internal bruising, slight concussion," John reported. "Nothing out of the ordinary."

"Not for you anyway," Rodney retorted. He hesitated for a moment, looked around the quiet infirmary and then grabbed a chair, sitting down awkwardly. "I ah ... owe you an apology," he said.

"For what?" Sheppard frowned.

"Ah ... nothing ... m- much," Rodney stuttered a little, "and really, it wasn't even my fault."

"Rodney," John said pointedly. "Stop defending and just tell me what you did this time."

"Lorne knows about ... you know," he gestured vaguely. "_Atlantis_," he added meaningfully in a low tone, following that immediately with more animated speech. "In my defence though it wasn't actually me who told him. _She_ did ... although he kind of already knew. I told you your mysterious behaviour was going to draw too much attention one day."

"I know Rodney," John replied. "I asked her while I was waiting for you to turn up - she told me Lorne was using the Chair."

"Oh," Rodney looked nonplussed for a moment. "Right – of course she did." He looked at Sheppard with a frown. "And you're ... okay with that?"

"It's _Lorne_," Sheppard returned. "I probably should have filled him in a long time ago. I'm not surprised he worked it out for himself."

"He's got that lurking in the shadows observing thing down pretty good doesn't he?" Rodney smirked.

"Don't let him hear you calling it 'lurking' McKay," John chuckled, clutching his side when his ribs protested. "Speaking of Lorne, do we know yet if things are okay from their end?" It was his subtle way of asking if Atlantis – the people as well as the city itself – knew that he'd been rescued and for all intents and purposes was okay.

"Not yet, but good news there," Rodney grinned, looking pleased with himself. "I managed to convince General O'Neill to authorise a dial in to Atlantis. You're getting transferred into Keller's care in a couple of hours and the rest of us get a quick trip home for a change."

"_You_ convinced General O'Neill?" John asked in disbelief.

"Reminded him that I was instrumental in saving Sam's life on M5V-801," Rodney admitted smugly.

"You _and_ Jennifer," Sheppard reminded him pointedly.

"Of course," the scientist shrugged. "Honestly, I don't think Jen will mind me claiming the credit if it means she gets her hands on your medical care weeks earlier than she would have."

"Well, however it came about, I appreciate the short cut return," John admitted.

"At this point I think you could ask for anything and the powers that be would grant it," Rodney pointed out.

"Why's that?" John frowned in confusion.

"The Ancient Outpost," Rodney said simply. "Turns out you discovered a whole new wing. They don't know what's in there yet - have to dig through the collapsed section of the tunnel to find out. It's shielded though – that's why we never picked it up before. Which means there's probably something really cool down there – well, that's the theory anyway."

"What, like a planet wide defence system?" John joked. "Big laser guns, stuff like that?"

"You jest but it very well could be," Rodney insisted.

"Well then I hope General O'Neill sticks around to make sure the power doesn't corrupt someone," John said in all seriousness. "There are too many people like those behind my capture to risk something like that getting controlled by the wrong people."

"O'Neill will take care of it," Rodney shrugged, unconcerned. "That reminds me. You seriously owe me for this one. You have no idea what I've had to go through to rescue you."

"What _you've_ had to go through?" John looked at him expectantly.

"Yes _me_," Rodney insisted irritably. "Well me and a few others ... and ah Lorne might have had a hand in things. Did I tell you I had to spend 40 hours in the back of a puddle jumper? _Forty _hours _alone_ with Major Lorne."

"I'm surprised he didn't kill you," Sheppard broke in, straight faced.

"Yeah, well he looked like he wanted to a few times," Rodney admitted reluctantly.

"Why 40 hours?" Sheppard asked curiously, wanting to hear the other side of what had been happening since his wormhole had been redirected.

"We had to go back to old Lantia," Rodney began, settling in to fill John in on the whole story. Sheppard returned the favour, telling Rodney the key points, including how Vulture's group had located Aperio in the first place.

"No way!" For once Rodney was almost speechless.

"Yeah – turns out we've got loose lips somewhere in the support staff on Atlantis," John admitted. "Something else we'll have to clean up when we get back."

"At least we don't have to worry about following things up here," Rodney said. "General O'Neill came down to talk to that Vulture guy himself. With any luck they'll take down an entire arm of the Trust ... might shut them up for a while at the very least."

Sheppard nodded, thoughtful. Vulture had helped him escape without incident and had made capturing everyone very easy. "How long 'till we leave?" he asked Rodney.

"Ah ... a couple of hours," Rodney reminded him. "Why, you got somewhere to be?"

"As a matter of fact I do," John retorted. "Go get Doctor Lam."

"Hey - I'm not your personal slave Colonel," Rodney protested more for form than any real desire not to help.

"Just do it McKay," Sheppard ordered, exasperated.

"Fine, whatever," Rodney muttered, getting up grumpily.

John waited until he was almost out the door before calling out. "Rodney?"

"What?" Rodney turned back impatiently.

"Thanks," John said simply.

Rodney started for a moment and then nodded, smiling faintly. "Yeah, well ... you'd do the same for me, right?" Without waiting for an acknowledgement, he turned and hurried from the room.

Sheppard waited until his friend had left before relaxing, chuckling in amusement. Rodney was ever a contradiction - vocal in touting his own genius but so uncomfortable receiving praise from anyone else.

"Colonel," Dr Lam's arrival interrupted his thoughts. "You wanted to see me?"

"Yes," John smiled. "I need a favour."


	16. Throwing the book at him

**Chapter 16: ****Then I was thinking of throwing the book at him.**

"I hear you've agreed to help expose Snake's real employers," Sheppard said by way of greeting. After finally getting Dr Lam to agree to a quick visit to the cells, he'd got the marines guarding the door to unlock it and let him speak to Vulture alone.

"It is the least I can do," Vulture replied.

"It wasn't all your fault," John folded his arms, leaning against the closed door. "Aperio was very practiced at operating with apparent innocence. When it was first created it managed to fool the Ancients themselves. It was so insidious they couldn't delete it but only trap it inside their systems."

"Strangely that doesn't comfort me," Vulture said wryly.

"Well hopefully the news that I made sure everything in that building was destroyed beyond recognition will," Sheppard offered.

"It is gone?" Vulture asked hopefully.

"Obliterated," John confirmed. "You didn't make any copies, right?"

"No," Vulture confirmed. "There was just the original Ancient device that you destroyed and the system in that room."

"And Snake, did he have an opportunity to make a copy of any part of the system?" Sheppard persisted.

"As far as I know, he didn't," Vulture replied.

"Okay – that's good. So ... you got a name, other than 'vulture'?" Sheppard asked.

"The ranks of the beloved of Ma'at are based on the animal symbols of Egyptian hieroglyphs translated to our alphabet," the other man explained. "A - the symbol of the vulture – is the highest. I was … proud to wear the title, until …"

"Until Aperio came along and did what she does so well," John concluded. "Distorted reality … made you believe what _she_ showed you. She fooled me too – the first time we came across her. Hard to believe something so beautiful on the outside could be so twisted and corrupted on the inside."

"It is," Vulture agreed.

Sheppard nodded. "I'm heading home soon … I just wanted to say thank you. You could've made it difficult but you didn't. At the heart you're a good man … don't let the Trust make you forget that." Turning, John knocked on the door to get the Marines to let him out.

"Jacob."

John glanced back, brow raised.

"My name … Jacob," the other man explained.

"It's a good name," Sheppard said. "Maybe you should think about dusting it off." Nodding again, he turned and left the room.

oOo

"Do you have a minute Sir?" Sheppard stood in the doorway of General O'Neill's temporary office.

"Good to see you up and about Colonel," Jack waved the younger man inside.

"Got a pass from Doctor Lam," John joked. "An hour and then I'm back to being an inmate." He put a hand to his side with a grimace.

"Broken ribs?" the General queried knowingly. "One of those 'cure is worse than the injury' things isn't it," he smirked, recalling too many times when he'd had _his_ ribs strapped so tightly.

"Yeah," John hesitated for a moment, thinking about the reason for his visit. It was an odd situation from his point of view … he'd gotten to know a version of General O'Neill the previous year but the man in front of him knew nothing about that. Sheppard had to remind himself that _that_ man wasn't the same – that any responses he might expect based on past experience could be way off.

"Now I know you didn't just stop by to say hello. What can I do for you Colonel?" Jack got them to the point with his usual bluntness.

"Jacob, Sir," Sheppard revealed. "Ah – you know him as Vulture – the leader of Aperio's followers. I was wondering what your intentions were."

"Interrogate him for anything I can find out about his employers," Jack said blandly. "Then I was thinking of throwing the book at him."

"He'd not a bad person General," John began. "Misguided … too easily manipulated by Aperio, but I can't really blame him for that. She could be quite … persuasive when she wanted something … knew exactly where to hit you too. He was just the wrong guy in the wrong place."

"Let me get this straight," Jack straightened in his chair, pinning John with an intent gaze. "This guy arranged for you to be captured. He stored you in a DHD for days so they could take you to another _galaxy_, threw you into a cell and then let a twisted computer program have a go at you before sending you out into subzero conditions. And you're asking for leniency?" There'd been enough time for him to get a full briefing on the situation so Jack knew what John was asking.

"Something like that," John admitted. "He'll help you willingly Sir – you won't have to interrogate him. He _wants_ to take down the real culprits as much as we do – the other guy, Snake's, employers. _Them_ you can throw whatever book you want at. But Jacob? In a way he was used just as much as anyone caught up in this. "

"I'll think about it," Jack said after considering John's words silently for a few moments. "But I'm not promising anything."

"Of course Sir," Sheppard grinned. "Thank you Sir … and ah … thanks for the quick trip back to Atlantis too."

"Is it just me or is McKay getting stranger the longer he's posted there?" Jack smirked.

"Ah …," John seriously had no diplomatic way to answer that. Rodney's behavior probably _had_ come over as odd – because he was protecting John's 'I can talk to Atlantis and she talks back' secret.

"I might have to come back to Atlantis sometime – see for myself," Jack commented. "I get the feeling you're not telling me everything Colonel … and that whole business of how McKay and Lorne found you was just … odd."

"We'd welcome you any time you'd like to stop by Sir," Sheppard didn't try to defend, knowing anything he said wouldn't be enough. General O'Neill was a smart guy as well as possessing a pretty strong ATA gene himself. He might very well have picked up the edges of what had really been going on during John's rescue.

"Very diplomatic Colonel," Jack's eyes twinkled in amusement. "Now, aren't you expected back in the infirmary?"

"Yes Sir," John said glumly. Turning, he walked to the door. "Thank you Sir," he said again before taking his leave.

oOo

The instant Sheppard stepped through the wormhole he was greeted with the welcoming tones of the city.

"I'm ba-ack," he said softly, grinning.

"_We are pleased that you have returned_," Atlantis replied, her voice rich with what he'd always seen as emotions although he couldn't have said right then which ones, apart from obvious happiness that he was home.

"_Mostly thanks to you from what I hear_," John paused a few steps away from the Stargate, joined moments later by the rest of his team as the wormhole shut down behind them. "_Rodney told me how far you went to get me back._" He wasn't talking about the distance but rather the way she'd opened herself to communicate with Rodney and Lorne.

"_Your presence is … necessary_," the chorus intoned. "_And have you not risked much many times in the past to save us?_"

"_So this is just a little balancing out of the score?_" John did the mental equivalent of grinning teasingly. "_Not that anybody's keeping count. Well … Rodney might be._"

"_Doctor McKay was equally dedicated in his efforts to find you_," Atlantis scolded. "_When will you desist in your childish teasing of his actions?_"

"_Probably never_," John admitted. "_Gotta get my fun somehow_."

"John?" Teyla put a hand on his arm lightly, drawing his attention to their welcoming party coming down the stairs from the control room. Richard Woolsey and an all business Jennifer Keller.

"Welcome back Colonel," Woolsey said.

"Good to be back," Sheppard returned, looking around. "I see you kept the place together in my absence."

"Yes – somehow we managed to cope," Woolsey said sarcastically, the hint of amusement contradicting his tone. "We'll debrief as soon as possible."

"Tomorrow," Jennifer broke in insistently, looking pointedly at John. "Don't think you skipped out of observation Colonel. Dr Lam sent through your test results before the gate shut down … I'll check them and then we'll see what medical care you require."

"But ...," Sheppard sighed, knowing there was no point in arguing. "Fine," he nodded to his team. "Go get some rest guys - I've got this one," he said before following along as Jennifer turned and led them to the infirmary. As soon as they arrived he spotted the figure occupying one of the beds.

"Is Major Lorne okay?" he asked in concern, frowning across at his 2IC's still form.

"Yes," Jennifer said reassuringly. "It's mostly exhaustion – the Major collapsed after using the control chair for an extended period on top of too many days with very little sleep. He'll be back to normal in a day or two."

"_Is that right?_" John sent the thought to Atlantis.

"_Evan will be fine_," the chorus confirmed. "_We induced a state of deep sleep to assist in his recovery. Operating the chair for the first time in such demanding circumstances placed too much stress on his mind … but we had no choice and he would not entertain the thought of reducing his efforts._"

"_So … I've finally got some back up?_" John asked casually.

"_You know our preferences John Sheppard_," the city replied. "_But … in your absence, Evan Lorne is an acceptable substitute._"

"_Excellent_," John was surprised that he meant it, his prior need to protect the special aspects of the city not threatened by the inclusion of Lorne into the equation. He trusted Evan … wouldn't have made him his 2IC otherwise. And if it had to be anyone then Lorne was a good choice.

"Okay Colonel, let's get started," Jennifer drew his attention back to the physical world.

"If we must," he quipped, taking a seat on one of the examination beds.

oOo

"Colonel Sheppard?" John glanced over from his bed in the infirmary to see Major Lorne awake and looking at him. It was past midnight and the infirmary was quite, the lights muted for sleeping.

"Last time I checked," Sheppard quipped back, raising a slight smile from his 2IC. "Got the mandatory 24 hours of observation to get through and then it's back to business as usual. How're _you_ feeling Major?"

"Like a team of really clumsy interior decorators came in and rearranged my brain Sir," Evan replied, rubbing a hand over his head and messing up his already messy hair.

"I remember what _that_ feels like," John replied with a smile. "Jennifer tells me you'll make a full recovery and Atlantis confirms it."

"Ah … you're … okay with that, Sir?" Lorne asked hesitantly.

"With you knowing all there is to know about Atlantis you mean?" Sheppard queried, getting a nod in return. "She's okay with it and that's good enough for me."

"I'll keep it quiet," Evan promised.

"I know you will," John replied. They fell silent for a time before John spoke again. "Listen … I should probably apologize for keeping you in the dark for so long. You're second in command here … this is the kind of thing you need to know about."

"It is," Lorne agreed. "And yes, you should have told me Sir. But I understand why you didn't." He grinned suddenly. "I have to say I'm kind of relieved to finally have an explanation for some of your more … colorful behavior Sir. I was seriously beginning to wonder if you weren't all there upstairs – if you know what I mean."

"Not crazy or possessed," John quipped. "Just a man with very unusual friends."

"I'm sure Atlantis is beyond glad to have you back Sir," Lorne said in a low tone. "I know I am."

"You can ask her yourself … when you think your head can handle it," Sheppard stated it casually, watching to see when the penny dropped.

"Ah … I kind of assumed she'd want to go back to the status quo," Evan admitted, surprised that John expected he'd be talking to the city again in the future.

"For some reason she likes you Major," John grinned. "She'll hear you now you've done the trial by fire thing in the chair. And you know – having backup in that regard isn't a bad thing." He paused to let that sink in. "You're second in command now in every respect. Think you can handle it?"

"As long as it comes in small doses, yes Sir," Lorne made the commitment without hesitation. "Did Rodney tell you about the dreams?"

"A little … why don't you fill me in on the details … I wouldn't mind hearing the true story without McKay's exaggerations. Assuming he really didn't save two galaxies all by himself."

Evan laughed, settling back in his bed to tell his CO what was to his mind a pretty incredible story.

Atlantis, the chorus of systems, hardware, buildings, everything that made the city what it was, lingered on the edges of John's mind, listening. The relief of having him back – the one who'd made her substance rather than merely shadow – was very sweet indeed. And while the events of the past few days had been desperate and difficult, the city appreciated getting to know Evan Lorne as more than just a hovering presence at John's side. John himself had judged the other man worthy of stepping in for him … she could do no less now that she'd measured him, seen the core of what made Lorne who he was. And John was right … for the first time in too many years to count, Atlantis felt comfortable having more than one person to communicate with, if the need arose.

With a melodious sigh, the city finally relaxed. John was back … and all was right with her world.

**The End!**

**Authors Note:**

Okay, so that's it for Sheplantis ... for now or maybe forever depending on whether I get ideas for more stories. Thank you to everyone for reading, and extra thank yous if you took the time to review. Sorry this story took so long to come together - it's back to the old rules of no posting until the story is complete from here on - well, except for the stories I've already got in progress *grins*.

Bye for now.


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